Clinical Chemistry Link to Randox Laboratories Web Site
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

Clinical Chemistry 41: 1410-1413, 1995;
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit an electronic Letter to
the Editor about this paper
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Duffy, M. J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Duffy, M. J.

Clinical Chemistry, Vol 41, 1410-1413, Copyright © 1995 by American Association for Clinical Chemistry

Can molecular markers now be used for early diagnosis of malignancy?

MJ Duffy
Department of Nuclear Medicine, St. Vincent's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.

Most of the presently available cancer markers are neither specific for malignancy nor allow early diagnosis. However, the recent elucidation of the molecular events occurring during tumorigenesis may provide new markers that are likely to be both specific for cancer and sensitive for early disease. The key molecules undergoing alterations during carcinogenesis are the cellular oncogenes and suppressor genes. Alterations in these genes can be detected in cells shed from malignant and premalignant lesions. Thus, mutant p53 genes have been found in urine from patients with bladder cancer, mutant ras genes in stools from patients with colorectal and pancreatic cancers, and both mutant p53 and ras genes in sputum from patients with lung cancer. These findings show that the genetic alterations in cancer can be detected in fluids or secretions that had contact with the malignant tissue. The preliminary studies, however, had small numbers of both patients and controls and used time-consuming, labor-intensive, and expensive assays. For routine applications, these assays must be simplified, automated, and tested for sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value.


The following articles in journals at HighWire Press have cited this article:


Home page
 Clin. Chem.Home page
C. J. Fuery, H. L. Impey, N. J. Roberts, T. L. Applegate, R. L. Ward, N. J. Hawkins, C. A. Sheehan, R. O'Grady, and A. V. Todd
Detection of Rare Mutant Alleles by Restriction Endonuclease-mediated Selective-PCR: Assay Design and Optimization
Clin. Chem., May 1, 2000; 46(5): 620 - 624.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1995 by the American Association for Clinical Chemistry.