Blood Plasma Tests Measure Tumor Load

Assays for genetic components of leukemia and lymphoma using blood plasma instead of bone marrow measure "tumor load,” detect blood cancer markers, and assess patient response to therapy.

Leumeta assays, developed by Quest Diagnostics (Lyndhurst, NJ, USA), allow for detection of specific proteins, DNA, RNA, or other molecular targets expressed on or within tumor cells without painful bone marrow extraction. Studies presented at the American Society of Hematology meeting in December 2005 showed that information about tumor load and blood cancer markers of leukemia and lymphoma tumors is contained in blood plasma.

Francis Giles, M.D., professor of medicine and chief of developmental therapies in the department of leukemia at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, Texas, USA), noted, "In an era of increasing focus on targeted therapies, the ability to sequentially obtain so much data from blood plasma specimens is a major help in optimally using the available therapies, and in assessing the efficiency of novel agents. To obtain this data without the need for bone marrow tissue is a major advance.”

The Leumeta assays were developed by a team of researchers at Quest Diagnostics using licensed technology discovered by one of the researchers while previously at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.



Related Links:
Quest Diagnostics
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center