Randy Gascoyne, MD, research director, Centre for Lymphoid Cancers at the BC Cancer Agency, discusses the growth of predictive biomarker research in follicular lymphoma and other malignancies.

Pertaining to follicular lymphoma, Gascoyne says there will be a significant growth in predictive biomarker research. However, he advises researchers should move away from producing articles that focus on prognostic markers. Though this can be helpful in understanding the biology of a disease, Gascoyne says it is not hugely important to determine if a marker is prognostic. Researchers should focus on identifying predictive markers, which will inform them of possible therapies in upfront or relapse settings.

Gascoyne says this focus will likely expand to other lymphomas, such as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. CD30 is an example of a predictive biomarker, he says, which is being used in settings in anaplastic large cell lymphoma and other T cell lymphomas to inform a treatment choice.

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Randy Gascoyne, MD, research director, Centre for Lymphoid Cancers at the BC Cancer Agency, discusses the growth of predictive biomarker research in follicular lymphoma and other malignancies.


Dr. Gascoyne on Predictive Biomarker Research in Lymphomas

	Randy Gascoyne, MD, hematopathologist and research director for the Centre for Lymphoid Cancers at the BC Cancer Agency in Canada, discusses a study that investigated biomarkers for follicular lymphoma.

	Gascoyne says the Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index (FLIPI) does a decent job of providing expectations of survival, but has limitations.

	A study, conducted by the BC Cancer Agency, was able to identify 7 genes out of 74 genes that were associated with either favorable or inferior outcome. Using the FLIPI along with these genes provides a greater prognostic tool, Gascoyne says,

	This tool could be used to plan clinical trials and determine which patients to enroll. By identifying patients predicted to progress rapidly, researchers could more quickly assess the outcomes of different therapies. 

Randy Gascoyne, MD, hematopathologist and research director for the Centre for Lymphoid Cancers at the BC Cancer Agency in Canada, discusses a study that investigated biomarkers for follicular lymphoma.


Randy Gascoyne, MD

Articles

Dr. Gascoyne on Predictive Biomarker Research in Lymphomas

Dr. Randy Gascoyne on Biomarkers for Follicular Lymphoma