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Role of molecular markers in guiding therapy in cancer

Published on September 30, 2015   31 min

Other Talks in the Series: Cancer Genetics

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0:00
Hello. My name is Professor Joe Duffy. I work at St. Vincent's University Hospital and University College, Dublin. The title of my presentation is the Role of Molecular Markers in Guiding Therapy in Cancer.
0:15
List some of the questions that emerge following a diagnosis of cancer. The first question is who to treat? In other words, which patients, following surgical removal of a primary tumor, should receive additional or adjuvant treatment? If the decision is to treat, the next question is how to treat? In other words, what is the most appropriate treatment for a given patient? Of a major concern to the patient, is will the treatment caused major toxicity? And a fourth issue is how to determine if treatment is effective? In other words, how to know if the treatment is working? The aim of this lecture is to discuss how molecular markers can help address these four questions,
1:07
starting with who to treat. Patients with aggressive or life-threatening tumors generally receive adjuvant treatment. On the other hand, patients with indolent tumors may be able to avoid having to receive adjuvant treatment and thus be spared from the toxicity and costs of these drugs. The distinction between aggressive and indolent tumors is aided by prognostic markers or prognostic factors.
1:39
So why do we need prognostic markers? Well, prognostic markers help avoid undertreatment of aggressive tumors and overtreatment of indolent tumors.

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Role of molecular markers in guiding therapy in cancer

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