British researchers have pin-pointed a key gene which makes women especially vulnerable to ovarian cancer, it was announced today.
The gene, FGF1, is active in the most aggressive forms of cancer and enables cancer cells to become resistant to standard, platinum-based treatments, researchers say.
Now scientists will be looking for drugs to inactivate the gene and make treatment effective in these women.
The research has been undertaken at Dundee University, Scotland, and is reported in the British Journal of Cancer.
The gene was identified in a study of 187 women with ovarian cancer and is linked to the development of blood supply to a tumour.
The effect of the gene on platinum drugs was then confirmed in laboratory studies.
Researcher Dr Gillian Smith said: "We’re excited by these results because they identify potential ways that ovarian cancer builds resistance to common chemotherapy drugs over time.
"Our study paves the way for the development of new tests to determine if chemotherapy will work and suggests that drugs targeting FGF1 could be effective new treatments for a group of women with a type of ovarian cancer that is difficult to treat successfully.”
Dr Julie Sharp, of Cancer Research UK, welcomed the findings.
She said: "The current approaches to treatment are limited – not all women respond to chemotherapy and there is no way of telling who will benefit most.
"This research is a step towards addressing the urgent need to develop tests that can tell us more about each woman’s ovarian cancer and help personalise treatment to save more lives.”
Individuality in FGF1 expression significantly influences platinum resistance and progression free survival in ovarian cancer Smith G., et al British Journal of Cancer September 19 2012
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