the Cancer Therapy Advisor take:

A recurrence score algorithm developed using a 16-gene assay can provide a more accurate and individualized risk assessment beyond existing clinical and pathological parameters in patients with stage I-III clear cell renal cell carcinoma, a new study published online early in the journal The Lancet Oncology has shown.

In order to improve clinical outcome predictions in patients with localized clear cell renal cell carcinoma who have undergone nephrectomy, researchers sought to develop and validate a prognostic multigene signature using molecular characteristics of each patient's tumor.

Researchers selected 16 genes, 11 of which by statistical analyses and five as reference genes. This 16-gene assay was then used to develop a recurrence score algorithm and validated in a cohort of 626 patients with stage I-III clear cell renal cell carcinoma who had undergone nephrectomy.

Results showed that the continuous recurrence score was significantly associated with recurrence-free survival (HR = 3.91 for a 25-unit increase in score; 95% CI: 2.63-5.79; P < 0.0001).

Researchers found that the recurrence score was able to detect a clinically significant number of patients with either high-risk stage I or low-risk stage II-III clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

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