Researchers have found in ovarian cancer two genetic characteristics that distinguish aggressive tumors and their response to treatment, according to studies published Sunday in Nature Medicine.
This discovery should lead to a test to tailor treatment to the nature of the tumor of each patient.
The team of Fatima Mechta-Grigoriou (INSERM-Institut Curie, Paris) has discovered two "molecular signatures" that can make a prognosis on the evolution of the disease.
The first signature, known as "oxidative stress" is used to identify tumors, albeit aggressive, but more sensitive to treatment and therefore better prognosis.
The second, known as type "fibrosis", corresponds to tumors at high risk of tumor dissemination.
Respiration results in the production of oxygen-derived cell that can attack: the oxidative stress. In most cases, the master cells that stress. But when they are overwhelmed or do not have enough antioxidants, the phenomenon of stress causes damage, promoting the development of cancers.
In animal models studied, the existence of the signature "oxidative stress" in tumor growth accelerates. Oxidative stress is therefore an accelerator of the development of ovarian cancer, the researchers noted.
However, it also improves the response to treatment. Indeed, tumor cells with this stress can multiply very quickly, but they also die more easily as a result of treatment.
Instead, the signature "fibrosis", promotes migration of tumor cells and thus metastasis.
"Although highly proliferative tumors with signature + + oxidative stress are more susceptible to certain chemotherapies including paclitaxel (brand name: Taxol) and its derivatives," said Fatima Mechta-Grigoriou.
At the Institut Curie, doctors working on a test project designed to easily identify what type of tumor, each new patient has to be able to adapt their treatment.
The ovarian cancer, often diagnosed at an advanced stage because of its anatomical location within the body, affects 4600 women each year in France.
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