Dr. Randy Gascoyne on Biomarkers for Follicular Lymphoma

Randy Gascoyne, MD, hematopathologist and research director for the Centre for Lymphoid Cancers at the BC Cancer Agency in Canada, discusses a study that investigated biomarkers for follicular lymphoma.

Gascoyne says the Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index (FLIPI) does a decent job of providing expectations of survival, but has limitations.

A study, conducted by the BC Cancer Agency, was able to identify 7 genes out of 74 genes that were associated with either favorable or inferior outcome. Using the FLIPI along with these genes provides a greater prognostic tool, Gascoyne says,

This tool could be used to plan clinical trials and determine which patients to enroll. By identifying patients predicted to progress rapidly, researchers could more quickly assess the outcomes of different therapies.