Hypoxic cells resist radiation therapy
Knowing which patients have hypoxic, or low oxygen level, tumors may help case managers and physicians decide when to use more aggressive therapies since these patients have a higher risk of metastases. Recent studies indicate hypoxia in malignant tissues has a significant effect on how those tissues respond to therapy.
Several studies indicate an average of 40% of most types of human solid tumors contain severely or moderately hypoxic areas. Cells in those areas are resistant to radiation and some drugs and have the potential to result in poor response to therapy, according to presentations at the recent American Association for Cancer Research conference in New Orleans.
Since hypoxia is present in many solid tumors and not in normal tissues, it represents an attractive target for selective tumor therapy, says Robert Sutherland, PhD, president of Varian Biosynergy, a biotechnology company in Palo Alto, CA.
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