|  |  |  | | | | BIRMINGHAM SCIENTISTS PAINT PORTRAIT OF CANCERS | | | | |
| |  A DNA microarray
Release Date: 1st July 2004
University of Birmingham scientists are using state-of-the-art technology to improve treatment for a common form of childhood cancer, thanks to a new grant of £110,000 from Leukaemia Research and £36,000 from the Birmingham Children's Hospital Research Foundation.
The pioneering technique, DNA microarrays, will be used to provide vital information for doctors treating the blood cancer, Hodgkin's lymphoma. Each microarray - a transparent slide no bigger than the size of a small child's palm - provides scientists with a read out of the relative expression of thousands of genes in a single cancer sample. A colour read-out depicts the status (often referred to as gene expression) of each gene in the cell - providing a virtual portrait of the cancer cell.
"Traditionally, doctors treating children with Hodgkin's lymphoma examine the cancer cells under a microscope, and take into account the patient's age and clinical history.While this has been a successful way of diagnosing Hodgkin’s lymphoma, it does not tell doctors any further information about that child's disease or how he/she is likely to respond to chemotherapy. This is why a much more sensitive prognostic tool was required," explains Dr Richard Grundy, Clinical Senior lecturer in Paediatric Oncology.
Dr Paul Murray, from the University’s Department of Pathology, says: "Tumours that behave differently can look the same under a microscope, but when you look at gene expression, it is possible to pick up differences that might help to predict how tumours will behave or whether they will respond to treatment."
“This microarray technology will enable us, for the first time, to create a detailed portrait of an individual's disease," adds Dr Murray, who leads the project together with Dr Richard Grundy.
Whilst Hodgkin's lymphoma is more commonly found in adults, this cancer affects more than 100 children each year - around 5 - 10% of all childhood tumours. Around half of children with the disease have been infected with a common virus, Epstein Barr Virus.
Dr Murray's team believe this technology will also enable them to understand precisely what role the virus plays in the development of the disease. Most children with Hodgkin's lymphoma receive a combination of gruelling chemotherapy and/ or radiation therapy.
The 'late -effects' of this toxic treatment can be significant and current diagnostic techniques do not have the finesse to help determine whether a tumour is going to respond well to treatment or not. The 'late effects' can include problems with fertility, and risks of secondary cancer.
To enable doctors across the UK to match the most suitable treatment to each child, the Birmingham team aim to create profiles from samples taken from patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma.
"In the long-term by comparing a patient's profile to their response to treatment, this may help to identify those children whose disease could be safely treated with less treatment and those cases which may relapse, in which case different treatment strategies might be adopted from the start. The judicious use of intensive therapy for those with an ‘aggressive genetic profile’ and minimisation of treatment for tumours with a favourable genetic profile would be a major step forward, aiming for cure at least cost," Dr Grundy explains.
Dr David Grant, Scientific Director of Leukaemia Research, says: “This is really exciting research. Leukaemia Research has made a big investment in cataloguing the different gene expression patterns in the different cancers of the blood. This is leading to much more accurate, almost patient-specific, diagnosis of each person's cancer which in turn is stimulating new ideas in selective and effective treatments."
One family that understands the importance of such research is the Lewis family from Kenilworth in Warwickshire. Their 17 year-old daughter Helen was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma three years ago.
Helen's father Mark said: “Helen had been feeling very unwell for sometime but doctors couldn’t find out exactly what the problem was. It was in May 2001 that tests finally showed that she had Hodgkin's lymphoma.
“My wife and I were completely shocked - we couldn’t believe that she had cancer. We really didn’t know what Hodgkin’s lymphoma was at that point."
Helen, a pupil from Henry VIII School in Coventry was treated with chemotherapy (at the Walsgrave Hospital in Coventry and Birmingham Children’s Hospital ) but she relapsed six months later. She underwent several months of gruelling chemotherapy and radiotherapy to get her back into remission.
“We are delighted that the treatment seems to have worked - and Helen has been back in remission ever since. Hodgkin's lymphoma is a terrible disease - and the intensive treatment that Helen needed made her really sick. It was a really hard time for her and all of the family.
“Fortunately she has had great support from her school to enable her to carry on with her studies and she managed to complete her GCSEs last year despite all the months that she had spent in hospital. We are so proud of her.
“Having seen what my own daughter has been through, it is really important that this type of research continues to receive support, " Mark adds.
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