Study: Gender Differences in Colon Cancer
Photo/S. Peter Lopez
The study, which will be published in the April 15 issue of the journal Cancer Research, found that specific gene variants linked to the development of colon cancer resulted in opposite survival outcomes for men and women.
Germline variations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) DNA – a gene widely expressed in colonic tissue – has been linked with poor prognosis in colon cancer, said Oliver Press, an M.D. student at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and lead author of the study.
However, when researchers looked at EGFR as a prognostic factor, they found that it had opposite implications for men and women.
“We expected to find that high expression would correlate with a poor prognosis and faster growth of the cancer,” Press said. “What we found was that men followed the expected trend, while women’s response was the opposite.”
Researchers analyzed 318 patients – 177 men and 141 women – with metastatic colon cancer treated at the USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and the LAC+USC Medical Center between 1992 and 2003.
All the patients were exposed to similar chemotherapy treatments. When genomic DNA samples were analyzed, researchers found that women who had specific gene variants linked with high expression of EGFR had higher overall survival rates, while men with the same variants had lower survival.
“This is the first report to show that the prognostic value of EGFR depends on gender,” said Heinz-Josef Lenz, professor of medicine at the Keck School of Medicine and the principal investigator on the study. “This may suggest that, in the future, molecular markers should be evaluated differently in women and men and that treatment decisions may depend on gender and not only on molecular or clinical findings.”
Previous research has shown a protective effect of female hormones in colon cancer survival, Press noted. The findings of the study indicate that hormone receptors are important to signal pathways related to the survival of patients.
The study is an important jumping-off point to further research into how men and women differ in response to specific treatments, he said.
“Research will need to be done to determine whether women and men respond differently to certain cancer therapies,” Press said. “Down the road we may see targeted chemotherapy that is tailored to get the best response from male and female patients.”
The study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the San Pedro Guild Research Fund and Charles Bittick.
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The Chronicle of Higher Education mentioned USC’s $6 billion fundraising campaign. The story noted that USC had already raised $1 billion in a “quiet phase,” including the $200 million naming gift from USC Trustee and alumnus David Dornsife and wife Dana Dornsife to the USC Dornsife College.
The Guardian (U.K.) highlighted two major gifts to USC in a list of the 10 biggest philanthropic benefactors in America. The list included the $200 million naming gift from USC Trustee and alumnus David Dornsife and wife Dana Dornsife to the USC Dornsife College, and the $110 million gift from USC Trustee and USC Viterbi School alumnus John Mork and wife Julie to create the USC Mork Family Scholars Program.
The New York Times featured the USC U.S.-China Institute documentary “Assignment: China — The Week that Changed the World.” The documentary, part of a series, examines media coverage of the 1972 Nixon trip that reshaped U.S.-China relations after a quarter century of isolation and hostility. “People look back now and take it for granted that the outcome was preordained,” said the institute’s Mike Chinoy, who produced the documentary. Voice of America also featured the story.
Los Angeles Times featured the Oscar Senti-meter, a tool developed by the USC Annenberg School, Los Angeles Times and IBM that analyzes thousands of tweets about the Academy Awards nominees. The story noted that Mexican actor Demian Bechir received an enormous boost on Twitter the day of the nominations, with a total of 6,893 tweets mentioning him, a 47-fold increase from the day before. The story noted the tool uses language-recognition technology developed in collaboration with USC Viterbi School’s Signal Analysis and Interpretation Lab.
The Times of India (India) featured a three-day medical emergency training workshop organized in association with USC. At the workshop, held at GCS Medical College in India, 50 doctors and more than 100 paramedics learned how to improve emergency support systems. William Mallon of the Keck School of USC said that discussion topics included the use of portable ultrasonic devices to scan patients. “The ultrasound applications help physicians make accurate and timely decisions,” he noted. Daily News & Analysis (India) also featured the workshop.
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