Science and Technology Daily, Beijing, February 1 (Reporter Zhang Mengran) In a commentary article published in "Nature" published on the 1st, scientists from the Gustave Roussy Institute in France pointed out that organ-based cancer classification, such as breast cancer, , lung or pancreatic cancer, there is an urgent need to shift to a molecular-based classification. The article reads, “Cancer classification based on tumor molecular signatures will allow millions of people to receive effective treatments more quickly.”
There is growing divergence in classifying cancers based on the organ in which they arise and tumor development, with precision oncology advocating for the use of molecular profiles of tumors and immune cells to guide treatment.
To illustrate the problem, the researchers used the drug nivolumab as an example. The drug targets PD1, the receptor for the PD-L1 protein, which helps cancer cells evade immune system attack. In clinical trials, a key factor in determining the drug's effectiveness is whether tumor cells express high levels of PD-L1.
The researchers pointed out that for about 10 years, "patients with tumors with high PD-L1 expression have not been able to obtain relevant drugs that could have helped them." This is because most drugs fail to reach clinical trials for traditionally defined cancer types.
Changing cancer classification may improve medical education and patient understanding. The article believes that if patients are told the biological mechanisms that cause cancer, they can better understand the basis for treatment.
In addition to helping patients, changing the way cancers are classified is "a first step toward precision oncology and a better understanding of cancer biology," the article concluded.