Gene Profile

Gene Profile

"Profiling Cancer" by Monica Zangwill in Spring 2003 issue of Cure, is an article about new gene-analyzing techniques-gene profile in cancer diagnoses, prognosis and treatment. Cancer researchers are optimistic that gene profile improves diagnoses and prognosis estimates. It is possible to help matching treatment to tumor. It may be a useful tool in guiding adjuvant therapy for patients with lymph -node involvement. Cancer researchers also hope to use gene profiling to find new targets for cancer therapies.

By reading "profiling Cancer", I strongly believe that it is a great article for clinical practice. In the past, we always wondered why patients with same cancer classification from microscopic diagnosis had so different prognosis. However, Monica pointed out in her article that gene profile provided better diagnoses than microscope did. She explained that "patients with same cancer classification from microscopic diagnosis... their gene activities on gene profile are very different" (Zangwill, 2003). In other words, it was not one disease but probably three or four diseases that arise

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from different cell types. That was why when we were treating those patients all the same and then observing that some responded and others didn't. Monica also stated that gene profile improved prognosis estimates. It could predict the patients who had a 70% survival after chemotherapy and who had only a 15% survival. In general, we need to understand the distinctions and treat patients based upon these differences.

Gene profile not only improves cancer diagnoses and prognosis but also has been expected to guide treatment. Cancer researchers are trying to find out how gene profile determines tumors are sensitive to chemotherapy. They are also working on gene signature, which are new targets for chemotherapy drugs.

Gene profile is useful tool in clinical practice; gene profile is very helpful in our nursing practice as well. It not only provides accuracy cancer diagnoses and prognosis but also helps us to educate general population. For certain kinds of cancer patients have high survival or match certain chemotherapy base on their

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gene profile, we should inform those patients accurate information promptly to reduce their fear and anxiety;