Patent ID: 7732159
Filing Date: 2010-06-08
Classification: A61P,G01N,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method of monitoring cancer progression, or the efficacy of cancer treatment or therapy, in a cancer patient, comprising: (a) measuring the levels of one or more of the following plasminogen activator (uPA) system components in a body fluid sample from the cancer patient prior to, or at the start of, cancer treatment or therapy: (i) uPA in a serum sample, (ii) PAI-1 in a plasma sample; and (iii) uPA:PAI-1 complex in a plasma sample; (b) determining if the sample levels of one or more of the uPA, PAI-1, or uPA:PAI-1 complex in the cancer patient is increased compared to normal levels of each of the respective plasminogen activator system components in normal controls to obtain a first value for the PA system analytes in the patient; (c) measuring the levels of one or more of (i) uPA in a serum sample of the cancer patient; (ii) PAI-1 in a plasma sample of the cancer patient; or (iii) the uPA:PAI-1 complex in a plasma sample of the cancer patient during and/or following a course of cancer treatment or therapy; (d) determining if the patient's sample levels of one or more of the uPA, system components is increased compared to the normal levels of each of the respective plasminogen activator system components in normal controls during and/or following the course of cancer treatment or therapy; and (e) establishing that the cancer treatment or therapy is or is not effective; wherein an increase or elevation in the cancer patient's sample levels of one or more of the uPA, PAI-1 or uPA:PAI-1 complex during or following the cancer treatment or therapy compared with the levels of one or more of the uPA, PAI-1 or uPA:PAI-1 complex in normal controls and relative to the first value of (a) indicates that the cancer treatment or therapy is not effective or that the patient is not responding to the treatment or therapy; and further wherein a decrease in the sample levels of one or more of the uPA, PAI-1 or uPA:PAI-1 complex during or following the cancer treatment or therapy compared with the levels of one or more of the uPA, PAI-1 or uPA:PAI-1 complex in normal controls and compared to the first value of (a) indicates effective treatment or therapy, or a favorable response by the cancer patient; wherein the normal serum level of uPA is a normal control value of 1924 pg/ml; wherein the normal plasma level of PAI-1 is a normal control value of 63 ng/ml; and wherein the normal plasma level of uPA:PAI-1 complex is a normal control value of 293 pg/ml.