YKL-40 as a marker and prognostic indicator for cancers
First Claim
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1. A method for estimating survival expectancy of a cancer patient, said method comprising:
- (a) obtaining a biological fluid sample comprising human YKL-40 from a cancer patient having at least a preliminary diagnosis of a cancer, wherein the sample is collected either prior to surgery for the cancer or at the time of first recurrence of the cancer, selected from the group consisting of a lung cancer, a bronchus cancer, a colorectal cancer, a prostate cancer, a pancreas cancer, a stomach cancer, an ovarian cancer, a urinary bladder cancer, a brain or an esophageal cancer, a cervical cancer, a melanoma, a uterine or endometrial cancer, a cancer of the oral cavity or pharynx, a liver cancer, a kidney cancer, a biliary tract cancer, a small bowel or appendix cancer, a salivary gland cancer, a thyroid gland cancer, an adrenal gland cancer, a testes cancer; and
(b) measuring the level of said YKL-40 in said sample and comparing the sample YKL-40 level to the YKL-40 level found in the same sample from normal healthy humans wherein a sample YKL-40 level above 95% of the YKL-40 levels in the same sample from said normal healthy humans is an indicator of a reduced survival expectancy compared to patients with normal YKL-40 level.
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Abstract
This invention provides methods for detecting cancers and for evaluating the prognosis of cancer patients. In particular, the methods of this invention utilize YKL-40 as a marker for the presence or absence of a cancer and for the prognosis (e.g. likelihood of recurrence) of a cancer. Elevated levels of YKL-40 are indicative of the presence of a cancer in undiagnosed subjects and indicate likely recurrence of the cancer in subjects diagnosed as having a cancer.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method for estimating survival expectancy of a cancer patient, said method comprising:
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(a) obtaining a biological fluid sample comprising human YKL-40 from a cancer patient having at least a preliminary diagnosis of a cancer, wherein the sample is collected either prior to surgery for the cancer or at the time of first recurrence of the cancer, selected from the group consisting of a lung cancer, a bronchus cancer, a colorectal cancer, a prostate cancer, a pancreas cancer, a stomach cancer, an ovarian cancer, a urinary bladder cancer, a brain or an esophageal cancer, a cervical cancer, a melanoma, a uterine or endometrial cancer, a cancer of the oral cavity or pharynx, a liver cancer, a kidney cancer, a biliary tract cancer, a small bowel or appendix cancer, a salivary gland cancer, a thyroid gland cancer, an adrenal gland cancer, a testes cancer; and (b) measuring the level of said YKL-40 in said sample and comparing the sample YKL-40 level to the YKL-40 level found in the same sample from normal healthy humans wherein a sample YKL-40 level above 95% of the YKL-40 levels in the same sample from said normal healthy humans is an indicator of a reduced survival expectancy compared to patients with normal YKL-40 level. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method to screen for recurrence of a cancer after removal of a primary tumor, said method comprising:
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(a) obtaining a biological fluid sample comprising human YKL-40 from a cancer patient following removal of a primary tumor selected from the group consisting of a lung cancer, a bronchus cancer, a prostate cancer, a pancreas cancer, a stomach cancer, an ovarian cancer, a urinary bladder cancer, a brain or central nervous system cancer, a peripheral nervous system cancer, an esophageal cancer, a cervical cancer, a melanoma, a uterine or endometrial cancer, a cancer of the oral cavity or pharynx, a liver cancer, a kidney cancer, a biliary tract cancer, a small bowel or appendix cancer, a salivary gland cancer, a thyroid gland cancer, an adrenal gland cancer, an osteosarcoma, a chondrosarcoma, a liposarcoma, a testes cancer, and a malignant fibrous histiocytoma; and (b) measuring a level of YKL-40 in said sample and comparing the sample YKL-40 level to the YKL-40 level found in normal controls wherein a sample YKL-40 level above 95% of the YKL-40 levels in normal controls is an indicator of a possible recurrence of said cancer. - View Dependent Claims (17, 26)
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18. A method of screening for an indicator for the presence of cancer, in a human, said method comprising:
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(a) obtaining a biological sample comprising serum comprising YKL-40 from said human; (b) measuring the level of YKL-40 in said serum and comparing the level to the YKL-40 level found in serum from normal healthy humans, wherein elevation in YKL-40 level in the sample being tested above 95% of the normal healthy humans, wherein said elevation is unrelated to known causes of YKL-40 elevation other than cancer, is an indicator of the presence of a cancer selected from the group consisting of a lung cancer, a bronchus cancer, a prostate cancer, a pancreas cancer, a stomach cancer, an ovarian cancer, a urinary bladder cancer, a brain or central nervous system cancer, a peripheral nervous system cancer, an esophageal cancer, a cervical cancer, a melanoma, a uterine or endometrial cancer, a cancer of the oral cavity or pharynx, a liver cancer, a kidney cancer, a biliary tract cancer, a small bowel or appendix cancer, a salivary gland cancer, a thyroid gland cancer, an adrenal gland cancer, an osteosarcoma, a chondrosarcoma, a liposarcoma, a testes cancer, or a malignant fibrous histiocytoma. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification