1. Skip to header
  2. Skip to main
  3. Skip to content
  4. Skip to sidebar
  5. Skip to footer
Posted on Friday, Oct 21, 2011

Mesothelioma Patients May Benefit from DNA Repair Capacity Finding

Researchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center found another predictor in the survival of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.  While it is known that DNA damage leads to faults in genes that can lead to cancer, the researchers found a correlation between DNA repair capacity in peripheral lymphocytes and cancer survival.  The discovery may lead to patient-centric therapies beneficial to NSCLC patients as well as mesothelioma patients. 

The researchers found that NSCLC patients treated with platinum-based chemotherapy with a high level of DNA repair capacity in peripheral lymphocytes “exhibited significantly worse overall and three-year survival” compared to those with a lower DRC capacity.  Chemotherapy with platinum-based drugs, such as cisplatin or carboplatin, is frequently used to treat both lung cancer and mesothelioma.  

Pleural mesothelioma, an incurable cancer that invades the outer lining of the lungs called the mesothelium, and lung cancer are both shown to be caused by exposure to airborne asbestos fibers.   Mesothelioma is a diffuse malignancy that blurs the boundaries between malignant tissue and healthy tissue.  Lung cancer, however, is characterized by individual tumor masses with clear boundaries.   Even with these differences between the two pulmonary cancers, the treatments are often very similar. 

According to the authors, “It is promising to use DRC in peripheral lymphocytes as a prognostic factor to guide tailored individual therapeutics for patients with NSCLC.” 

Personalized care targeted to a patient’s unique mesothelioma characteristics optimizes the potential for success of the treatment and offers treatment options that may not otherwise have been considered.  Currently, mesothelioma is diagnosed in close to 3,000 Americans each year. The disease is not curable and typically treatments include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.