Methods and compositions of molecular profiling for disease diagnostics

Abstract

The present invention relates to compositions, kits, and methods for molecular profiling and cancer diagnostics, including but not limited to gene expression product markers, alternative exon usage markers, and DNA polymorphisms associated with cancer. In particular, the present invention provides molecular profiles associated with thyroid cancer, methods of determining molecular profiles, and methods of analyzing results to provide a diagnosis.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 199,585, entitled “Methods and Compositions of Molecular Profiling for Diagnosis of Cancer” filed Nov. 17, 2008, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 270,812, entitled “Methods and Compositions of Molecular Profiling for Diagnosis of Cancer” filed Jul. 13, 2009, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States and one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide. Nearly 25 million people are currently living with cancer, with 11 million new cases diagnosed each year. Furthermore, as the general population continues to age, cancer will become a bigger and bigger problem. The World Health Organization projects that by the year 2020, global cancer rates will increase by 50%.[0003]Successful treatment of cancer starts with early and accurate diagnosis. Current methods of diag...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent text describes a study that used a classification algorithm to identify genes based on their function. The study found that the algorithm worked well when analyzing a certain number of genes, but it struggled to accurately identify them when more than a certain number were involved. This suggests that the current algorithm has a 4% error rate when analyzing 200-250 genes. The technical effect of this study is that it provides a better understanding of the limitations of the current algorithm and helps to improve the accuracy of gene identification.

Problems solved by technology

Furthermore, as the general population continues to age, cancer will become a bigger and bigger problem.

While these techniques have proven to be both useful and inexpensive, they suffer from a number of drawbacks.

First, cytological analysis and imaging techniques for cancer diagnosis often require a subjective assessment to determine the likelihood of malignancy.

Second, the increased use of these techniques has lead to a sharp increase in the number of indeterminate results in which no definitive diagnosis can be made.

Third, these routine diagnostic methods lack a rigorous method for determining the probability of an accurate diagnosis.

Fourth, these techniques may be incapable of detecting a malignant growth at very early stages.

Fifth, these techniques do not provide information regarding the basis of the aberrant cellular proliferation.

Further, the cost of any treatments can be prohibitive for an individual, insurance provider, or government entity.

In addition, there are continued treatment costs and complications due to the need for lifelong drug therapy to replace the lost thyroid function.

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