New biomaker discovered for cervical cancer treatment

A team of doctors from Mahavir Cancer Institute & Research Centre (MCIRC) led by Dr Manisha Singh, Medical Director and Head of Chemotherapy Department, MCIRC, and a group of scientists led by Dr Prashant Kumar, Chief Scientific Officer, Karkinos Healthcare, discovered a new biomarker for cervical cancer treatment. 

The researchers have been granted a patent for this invention by the government. The research study developed the protein Syntaxin 3 (STX 3) as a biomarker that can predict the patient’s response to radiation and chemotherapy before treatment begins. This discovery can enable treating oncologists to select an alternative therapy that may increase the chances of survival in these patients.

The research team used advanced mass spectrometry based quantitative proteomics to compare the proteins present resistant cervical cancer patients relative to a sensitive group. They identified the protein Syntaxin 3 (STX3) to be upregulated in the non-responder patient group.

Dr Richa Chauhan, Senior Physician of the Radiotherapy Department, MCIRC shared that according to the data of Globocan 2020, with about 1.25 lakh new patients and 78 thousand deaths every year, cervical cancer remains an important cause of mortality for women in our country. The chances of recovery for these patients depend on how the disease responds to chemo radiotherapy.

Despite recent advances in various treatment methods, the cure rate for cervical cancer patients remains around 60 to 70 per cent. For the remaining 30 to 40 per cent survival is low. Because the same treatment may have different effects in different patients, choosing a biomarker-based treatment may prove to be a robust method for an individualised treatment.