26 new proteins were discovered that could improve Endometrial cancer diagnosis and treatment.
A recent study from University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust has made a ground-breaking discovery which could change the diagnosis of Endometrial cancer forever.
In 2017 Endometrial cancer was identified as the 4th most common cancer in European women, with case numbers continuing to rise. Currently, tools for diagnosing the cancer are severely lacking. They largely rely on physical symptoms which may not be experienced until it is too late for effective treatments, and that is if they are ever experienced. Catching cancer early is crucial, but these factors make early diagnosis of this cancer very difficult.
The main problem that scientists have had with developing diagnostic tools is that Endometrial cancer is highly variable among patients, not just the symptoms but right down to the molecules that cause it. However, this study has provided the solution to this with the discovery of 26 protein biomarkers specific to this cancer type. These are like flashing red lights inside the patient saying, “look at me I’m cancerous!”. The high variability has previously made these biomarkers difficult to come across, but through using biopsies from real Endometrial cancer patients, these scientists have laid the foundations for a very promising future.
This revolutionary discovery has paved the way for further research into possible diagnostic tools or even treatments for the cancer, making it a key example of life-saving scientific research! It is important to note, however, that all scientific research comes with limitations. For example, this study only used tissues from 8 post-menopausal patients, meaning we don’t know if the menstrual cycle would alter the expression of the proteins in menstruating patients. However, it is equally important to note the reasons for limitations – Endometrial cancer is most common in post-menopausal women, and the smaller sample size was designed to limit the high levels of variation between patients. So, while there are a few caveats, this is still ground-breaking work with significant potential.
How cancer research is actually done can often feel like a bit of a mystery. So, here is a brief overview of the technical stuff – the scientists used a technique called proteomic analysis. This involves gathering patient tissues via biopsies before separating all of the proteins so that they can be looked at one by one to determine their functions, which often involve processes in the body like immune responses or metabolism. Details like these directly linked the proteins to Endometrial cancer!