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NSC-funded scientists find markers for gastric cancer

"If we know more about prognostic factors, we can predict a patient's survival after curative resection more accurately."

Chen Chien-jen, Vice chairman of National Science Council

Taiwanese scientists have discovered new prognostic signs for stomach cancer which would provide essential information for doctors when treating patients after curative resection, the National Science Council (NSC) said yesterday.

"If we know more about prognostic factors, we can predict a patient's survival after curative resection more accurately," NSC Vice chairman Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) said yesterday.

Chen said that results of the research over the last three years, costing about NT$7 million, was an achievement in the field of molecular medicine. Over the next three years, Chen said, additional NT$7 million would be spent on related research.

Three years ago, with the NSC's financial support, Wu Chew-wun (吳秋文), professor of Surgery of National Yang-ming University, Lin Wen-Chang (林文昌) of the Academia Sinica and scientists at the National Taiwan University carried out genetic research pertaining to protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) molecules which deliver messages during the process of cell signaling, in order to search for details of gastric cancer.

At a press conference held yesterday by the NSC, Wu said that the mechanism relating to the development of gastric cancer remain unclear.

Based on recent studies, Wu, Lin and their teammates have shown the clinical significance of tyrosine kinases identified in gastric cancer, which are c-met, k-sam, and edB2/neu.

Furthermore, researchers identified more than 50 different kinds of PTK. Among them, Taiwanese scientists discovered that some PTKs, such as tie-1, Mkk4, and "axl and nyk," could be regarded as "tumor markers."

"With these tumor markers, doctors can obtain essential information when they set about treating patients after curative resection," said Wu, who is also a senior surgeon at the Taipei-Veterans General Hospital.

Wu said that it was clear that Helicobacter pylori infection plays a role in some but not all of the cancers of the stomach. For this, Wu said, related studies on Helicobacter pylori would be stressed over the next three years.

In addition to the Helicobacter pylori infection, Wu said, factors which have long been recognized as contributing to the risk of developing stomach cancer include smoking, a diet high in salts and low on fresh fruit and vegetables.

Taking Japan as an example, Wu said that Japan has the highest incidence of gastric cancer in the world because of the Japanese preference for preserved food.

Wu said that people should eat foods high in vitamin C and beta-carotene supplements to avoid the occurrence of gastric cancer.

In addition, any who is older than 40 and suffers from stomach aches often should be given a gastroscopic examination. Curative resection, Wu said, is still a good method to treat gastric cancer in its early stages.
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