According to researchers, identifying the network of genes responsible for Uterine cancer can help to improve the available treatment options. In this way, doctors can target specific genes that lead to this form of cancer in women. The number of cases of Uterine cancer is growing every year in the US, and it is the fourth most common cancer in the country.
Uterine Cancer – Identification Of Gene Networks Can Improve Treatment Options
As per the American Cancer Society estimates, more than 60000 women received a diagnosis for Uterine cancer this year, and the mortality rate is expected to cross 12000. This is a huge number, and it affects many women every year.
It is difficult to identify the exact cause as a single gene is not responsible for this condition, and it happens due to a complex network of genes in the body. The new study focuses on both endometrial cancer and uterine carcinosarcoma, which are the types of Uterine cancer in women.
Researchers took a different path from the earlier single-gene analysis. They focused on the pathways and biological networks in Uterine cancer patients.
In this way, they were able to analyze different patterns which showed differences in the way genes behaved in normal uterine tissue and in those who were affected with uterine cancer.
Experts say that this was done to understand what happens at the cellular levels in those patients affected with Uterine cancer. As a single gene is not responsible for this form of cancer, they studied the different sets of genes that may be leading to this condition. In this manner, the existing modes of treatment can be modified to improve the success rate in the long run.
The study was successful to a large extent as it was able to identify about 11 genes that can be given high priority with regards to the cause of Uterine cancer. Targeting such genes will be crucial to developing new treatment options for this condition. Experts feel that this can go a long way in helping them to target the right genes that often lead to Uterine cancer.
The treatment options can be modified significantly to attack only those broken genes responsible for this type of cancer. The conventional method of treatment is of high dose as it targets the entire network of genes without any distinction. However, by focusing only on specific broken genes, the treatment will become more effective in the near future.
It will also be very light on the patient as the drug dose can be reduced. The limited use of drugs means that the patients get more chances to recover within a short interval of time, reducing the number of days spent at hospitals.
Experts feel that we are likely to have treatment options to counter specific genes in the body shortly. In this way, the method of treatment can be expanded to other health conditions as well.
By focusing only on the set of broken genes, the problem can be tackled precisely, unlike the conventional approach. This also allows the doctors to use a combination of different drugs that might target the specific genes leading to Uterine cancer.
In this manner, the drugs used to treat one particular type of cancer may also be beneficial to attack specific genes in another type of cancer. Such options become viable when the exact set of genes causing the condition is known to the researchers.
Experts hope that such methods will continue to provide more insights into the cause of Uterine cancer. In this way, thousands of deaths can be prevented every year across the country.
