Abstract
In their study of FRA in lung adenocarcinoma, O'Shannessy et al employed rigorous validation of a potentially useful clinical tool--using an immunohistochemical assay with a specific monoclonal antibody, they show that FRA expression is relatively specific for lung adenocarcinoma and that high FRA expression is associated with improved survival. Though further work will be necessary to translate this assay (and the related targeted therapy) into human cancer patients, their study confirmed the potential of FRA as a prognostic marker in lung adenocarcinoma.
Highlights
Identification of specific molecular alterations in cancer has revolutionized the diagnosis and treatment of the disease
folate receptor alpha (FRA) is highly expressed in both lung and ovarian carcinomas, and expression levels have been correlated with prognosis in both tumor types [3,4]
In addition to analyzing its expression in a variety of normal tissues, the authors focused on its expression in lung cancers – they reported that immunohistochemical labeling for FRA was positive in a large proportion of lung adenocarcinomas, while it was negative in most squamous cell carcinomas
Summary
Identification of specific molecular alterations in cancer has revolutionized the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. In a recent issue of Oncotarget, O’Shannessy et al described important steps in the development of folate receptor alpha (FRA) expression as one such clinical tool [1].
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