Cancer breakthrough: Predict within hours whether a cancer patient will survive chemotherapy

Researchers at the University of Bergen in Norway have discovered a new method that can predict within hours whether certain cancer patients will survive
chemotherapy.

Acute myeloid leukemia is an aggressive blood cancer with a low
survival rate.
Although the initial chemotherapy response rate is high, patients often relapse
due to the selection and development of chemotherapy-resistant leukemia cells.

Benedicte Sjo Tislevoll, a researcher at the University of Bergen and leader of the new study, said: "When treating people with leukemia, it is a challenge
to fast-track whether a patient is responding to treatment.
"

Current response to treatment is measured weeks to months after treatment, thus wasting significant time
.
However, the immediate response to chemotherapy can be measured
by studying the functional properties of leukemia cells.

"Our findings show that ERK1/2 protein increases
in the first 24 hours of chemotherapy in patients who respond poorly to treatment.
We believe that this protein is responsible for cancer cells' resistance to chemotherapy and can be used to distinguish between responders and non-responders
.
”

Tislevoll concluded: "We think this is an important key to our understanding of cancer, and our goal is to use this information to change treatments early on to patients who do not respond to treatment
.
"