Study compares microRNA profile differences between cancer of unknown primary origin and metastatic solid tumors of known primary metastases
Rosetta Genomics study looks to improve clinical outcomes for patients.
Developer and provider of microRNA-based molecular diagnostics Rosetta Genomics (Rehovot, Israel) have recently published data from a study profiling microRNA expression that assesses differences between cancer of unknown primary (CUP) and metastatic solid tumors of known primary metastases (KPM). The work, published in Clinical Experimental Metastases, assessed microRNA differences between CUP metastases with favorable prognosis and metastases of known primary tumors in order to screen for an “aggressive, pro-metastatic, CUP-specific biologic signature.”
The study was carried out in two stages, the first of which assigned metastases from CUP cases to a primary tissue of origin through the use of Rosetta’s miRview® mets2 microarray assay, and then compared the metastases to pathological and clinical presentation. For the second stage, expression of 733 microRNAs was examined in CUP tumors classified as breast, serious ovarian and upper squamous cancers, and compared with that of matched KPMs.
The study evaluated approximately 100 CUP and KPM tumors and found no unique microRNA signature that differentiated CUP presentation from KPM. Such findings support the current gold standard for the treatment of patients with favorable prognosis CUP, who are currently managed similarly to those with KPM. The reported study is part of a larger body of work by Rosetta Genomics, which is assessing the performance of the miRview mets2 assay in a group of CUP patients.
“This research is the first look for microRNA characteristics of CUP tumors. Study results confirmed epidemiologic evidence suggesting that patients with favorable prognosis CUP have a presentation, response to therapy and outcome no different from metastatic tumors of matched primaries”, explained George Pentheroudakis, study author and Assistant Professor at University of Ioannina Medical School (Ioannina, Greece).
Kenneth A. Berlin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Rosetta Genomics, added, “This publication demonstrates the utility of microRNA profiling in understanding the biology of CUP and may have important implications for the prognosis and treatment of CUP patients. We look forward to the publication of the full data set, which we believe continues to underscore the clinical value of our miRview mets2 assay in identifying the primary tumor type in CUP patients in order to optimize treatment protocols and potentially improve clinical outcomes.”
