2008 UALC
Philip Mack, PhD
University of California - Davis
Research Project:
Detection of KRAS and EGFR Mutations in Shed DNA in Plasma from NSCLC Patients Treated with Cetuximab or Gefitinib
Summary:
Erlotinib and gefitinib are drugs that are used to treat lung cancer, but a patient’s response to these drugs depends on whether the tumors carry alterations in two genes, KRas and EGFR. However, it has been difficult to test patient tumors for these changes because it is often not feasible to obtain tissue specimens. Dr. Philip Mack is gathering evidence to determine if patient blood samples bear traces of these alterations and whether they could be used to predict responsiveness to treatment with gefitinib (Tarceva) and cetuximab, an anti-EGFR antibody.
More Content:
Final Report
Preliminary results so far appear to indicate that KRas mutations do not predict responsiveness to treatment with anti-EGFR antibodies but the studies will continue to test patient samples and embark on a new collaboration to compare their results with similar treatments for colorectal cancer. These results are expected to be important for patient selection for these treatments.
Notable Accomplishments
Dr. Mack published his work in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology and the Journal of Clinical Oncology. He is continuing to apply for further funding for this project.