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"There are so many subtypes of RCC, and currently they are identified bysight, which can be subjective," said VAI Distinguished ScientificInvestigator Bin Tean Teh, M.D., Ph.D., whose laboratory published the recentfindings in Cancer Letters. "Now we have an objective, definitive way toidentify several types of RCC, which could have diagnostic and prognosticvalue."
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The researchers found DNA changes specific to type 1 and 2 papillary RCC,sarcomatoid RCC, and clear cell RCC with and without a mutation of the VHLgene. They also found changes specific to both low-grade and high-grade clearcell carcinoma tumors. The DNA changes have to do with the number of copiesof different chromosomes found in tumor cells, which researchers found wasdifferent from normal cells and among different types of RCC.
Teh said that the DNA changes they found could also lead to potential drugtargets. "Each type of RCC is believed to be caused by something different,"said Teh, "so ideally, different targets and therapeutic strategies should beselected for each subtype for effective treatment."
According to the American Cancer Society, RCC is the most common type ofkidney cancer. In the United States, approximately 54,000 new cases of RCCare diagnosed and 13,000 deaths attributed to the disease each year.
Established by Jay and Betty Van Andel in 1996, Van Andel Institute is anindependent research organization dedicated to preserving, enhancing andexpanding the frontiers of medical science, and to achieving excellence ineducation by probing fundamental issues of education and the learning process.
SOURCE Van Andel Institute
