Gene Signatures for the Prognosis of Cancer

摘要

The cytokine TGF&bgr;, in the tumor microenvironment, primes cancer cells for metastasis to the lungs. TGF&bgr; response status (TBRS) can be determined by comparing expression levels of a panel of genes from cancer cells to the expression levels of the same genes in epithelial cell lines before and after induction with TGF&bgr;. A TGF&bgr; gene response signature reveals a clinical association between TGF&bgr; activity in primary estrogen receptor negative (ER−) tumors and risk of lung metastasis. Further, combining the gene signature of the present invention with the known lung metastasis signature (LMS) increases the predictive value of the LMS considerably.