In a nutshell
The authors aimed to determine whether miR-449b could be used to predict cancer progression after radical prostatectomy.
Some background
miRNA is responsible for controlling such activities within the body as cell growth. As a result it plays a big role in tumor development. Recent studies have shown that miRNA can be found in the blood and that specific miRNA can act as predictors (warning signs) for prostate cancer progression in patients.
Methods & findings
The following article aims to determine whether miR-449b can be used as an indicator of prostate cancer progression following radical prostatectomy.
Prostate tissue samples from 36 patients were included in the study with a follow-up time of 66 months. miR-449b was the most commonly increased miRNA found to be increased in recurrent patients compared to non-recurrent patients, and was 2.8 times higher in recurrent patients compared to non-recurrent patients.
163 further samples were taken from patients who underwent a radical prostatectomy. Of these, 48% had detectable levels of miR-449b. Using advanced analysis it was determined that miR-449b could be used as an independent predictor of recurrence in patients following treatment with radical prostatectomy and that high miR-449b levels almost doubled the risk of experiencing recurrent prostate cancer in patients.
In this study, increasing levels of PSA were significantly associated with increasing miR-449b levels.
The bottom line
The authors concluded that miR-449b is an independent predictor of prostate cancer recurrence following radical prostatectomy.
The fine print
Results using miRNAs are difficult to reproduce and the tissue samples used can sometimes indicate lower levels of cancer than other tissues taken from the same patient, so results cannot be fully verified.
What’s next?
If you are considering a radical prostatectomy and would like more information on miR-449b testing post-operation please consult your doctor.
Published By :
BMC cancer
Date :
Nov 21, 2014
