Searching for the Origin

An article in the New York Times discusses cancers of unknown primary origins and recently developed genetic tests that may identify where in the body those mystery tumors are coming from -- not knowing the original tissue hampers treatment since many cancer therapies are tailored to combat one sort of cancer. Four genetic tests are trying to help identify the origin of these cancers -- Pathwork Diagnostics' Tissue of Origin test, BioTheranostics' CancerType ID, Agendia's CupPrint, and Rosetta Genomics' MiRview Mets test -- but with mixed results. A recent study showed Agendia's test could accurately classify 83 percent of known samples but only 64 percent of unknown ones. "We try to ask ourselves, 'Is this information going to change the treatment we recommend for the patient?'" MD Anderson's James Abbruzzese says.