Gene key to chemotherapy efficacy

19 September 2012 Last updated at 01:39 ET

Dundee University researchers believe they have found a way to predict the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs in fighting ovarian cancer.

Scientists have discovered a gene called FGF1 was highly active in aggressive, advanced ovarian cancers.

They observed it was present at higher levels in cancer cells that were resistant to a common treatment for the disease.

The team hope the findings help to develop new cancer treatments.

Researchers measured amounts of a variety of genes in 187 ovarian cancer patients and found each cancer had a unique range of active genes.

However, FGF1 appeared to playing the greatest role in determining how cancers behave.

The team, based at the University's School of Medicine, found the gene called FGF1 was found at higher levels in cancer cells that are resistant to platinum chemotherapy treatments, such as carboplatin and cisplatin.

As a result, women with high levels of FGF1 are less likely to respond to these drugs and have a poorer prognosis.

The scientist believe measuring how active the gene is could predict which women with ovarian cancer will benefit from the drugs.

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Gene key to chemotherapy efficacy