Brain Tumor Genetic Subtype Informs Treatment & Prognosis

Research confirms that determining the genetic composition of brain cancer tumors can better inform doctors and patients for treatment options and prognosis. The findings could change the future of how cancers are diagnosed.

A study published in the June issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology confirmed that a specific chromosomal change in oligodendroglial brain tumors, first discovered by University of Calgary researcher Dr. Gregory Cairncross, is associated with a very good prognosis and may also identify patients who would benefit from chemotherapy treatment in addition to radiotherapy at diagnosis for longer tumor control.

"Looking at a cancer under the microscope is not enough anymore," said Cairncross, principal investigator for the clinical trial and head of clinical neurosciences at the U of C's Faculty of Medicine and Calgary Health Region. "By testing for the genetic makeup of brain cancers, we can better define what 'cancer' we're dealing with, which helps us make better and wiser treatment recommendations for our patients."

This insight offers hope to refine the way brain cancers—and all cancers—are evaluated in the future. Recognizing the evolution from microscopic diagnosis to molecular diagnosis, the U of C and Alberta Cancer Board are developing a new Molecular Diagnostics Program in the Tom Baker Cancer Centre in Calgary, Alberta. The program, which will provide space for testing the molecular and genetic composition of brain tumors, is initially funded by the Alberta Cancer Foundation Chair in Brain Tumor Research at the University of Calgary.

"The new laboratory will allow us to test the genetic makeup of brain cancers prior to starting treatment," says Dr. Chris Brown, Director of the Southern Alberta Cancer Research Institute. "Research is leading cancer researchers and clinicians to change the way we test tumors and customize treatments. We are excited about the laboratory's potential to guide and improve cancer treatment in Alberta and the world."

"When fully operational, the new laboratory will focus attention on the evaluation of genetic changes in oligodendrogliomas and glioblastomas, two types of brain cancer where genetic subtypes exist," says Dr. Tony Magliocco, director, Translational Laboratories, Tom Baker Cancer Centre. "Currently, the diagnostic test procedures are being perfected and in the coming months will be applied to newly diagnosed tumor samples from across Alberta."