USC researchers, for the first time, have identified specific genetic variations that predict clinical outcomes in patients with gastric (stomach) cancer.

"Genetic variations within the CD44 gene may be responsible for early tumor recurrence and metastasis," said Thomas Winder, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Keck School of Medicine and the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the lead author on the study. The researchers, led by principal investigator Heinz-Josef Lenz, professor of medicine and preventive medicine in the division of medical oncology at the Keck School, found that patients with the genetic variations experience cancer recurrence more than three times sooner than patients without the variations.

Winder presented the findings during a news briefing at the American Society of Clinical Oncology 2010 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium. The symposium was held Jan. 22-24 at the Orlando World Center Marriott.

"If our findings are confirmed in larger, prospective clinical trials, testing for the CD44 genetic variations could help us to identify patients at high risk who might benefit from more aggressive treatment," Winder said. "CD44 might also be a potential target for drug development to individualize therapeutic strategies."

A major function of the CD44 gene is its role in cellular adhesionthe loss of which is associated with cancer developmentand cell migration. Genetic variations may impact cell survival and proliferation, as well as making cancer cells more resistant to chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

Winder and colleagues isolated and analyzed DNA samples from 137 patients with localized gastric cancer treated at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. The investigators found that patients who had the CD44 genetic mutation had a significantly shorter time to recurrence (2.1 years) compared to those without this mutation (7 years).

"Additional studies are needed to confirm these preliminary results," Winder said. However, this is a very promising development in understanding and predicting outcomes for patients with gastric cancer."

The study was funded by the Dhont Family Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.

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Thomas Winder, Yan Ning, Derek G Power, Dongyun Yang, Wu Zhang, Pierre Bohanes, Georg Lurje, Laura H Tang, Manish Shah and Heinz-Josef Lenz. Germline polymorphisms in the CD44 gene are associated with clinical outcome in localized gastric adenocarcinoma. ASCO GI 2010. Abstract #1689.