August 1, 2005
1 min read
Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAmCancer's John Hancock
By JR Minkel
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
One theory of cancer formation holds that some tumors aggressively spread, or metastasize, because they contain a pocket of perpetually renewing cells similar to stem cells. Inspired by this idea, investigators from the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center in San Diego, Calif., used a mouse model of prostate cancer to identify 11 genes expressed in both neural stem cells and metastatic tumors. They then checked the genes' expression patterns in tissue samples from 1,153 patients treated for one of 11 cancers, including leukemia, lymphoma, and tumors of the breast, prostate and lung. Expression of the signature genes predicted a four-to 20-fold increased likelihood of relapse or death within three to five years, depending on the type of cancer. If confirmed, the signature could help patients and doctors decide whether to adopt aggressive treatment early on, says Gennadi Glinsky, co-author of the June 1 Journal of Clinical Investigation report.
It’s Time to Stand Up for Science
If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.
I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.
If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.
In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.
There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.
