Eosinophil Cationic Protein (epc) as a Tumor Marker for Malignant Tumors

Simple SummaryContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

This invention discloses methods and a diagnostic kit for assessing the status of malignant tumors, particularly melanoma, by measuring levels of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) in patient samples (such as blood serum). The invention establishes ECP as a novel and independent prognostic biomarker, where elevated ECP levels are associated with poorer survival outcomes and lower levels with better survival. Measuring ECP can help predict prognosis, classify disease stage, inform treatment choices, and monitor disease progression.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Prognostic testing of patients with malignant melanoma to predict survival expectations based on ECP serum levels.
• Assisting clinicians in selecting optimal treatment regimens for melanoma patients by using ECP levels to assess likely patient outcomes.
• Classifying the stage of melanoma or other malignant tumors independent of the traditional LDH biomarkers.
• Monitoring disease progression or therapeutic response in melanoma patients over time.
• Screening or stratification of patients for clinical trials based on ECP biomarker levels.
• Determining the effectiveness of new therapies by correlating treatment response with changes in ECP levels.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Provides a novel, independent, and more specific biomarker (ECP) for melanoma prognosis, supplementing or surpassing current markers like LDH.
• Enables more personalized, data-driven decisions on treatment selection and intensity for melanoma patients.
• Allows for easier, rapid, and minimally invasive sample collection (e.g., blood tests) to determine ECP levels.
• Improves accuracy in staging and prognosis of malignant melanoma, supporting better patient management and resource allocation.
• Can be incorporated into point-of-care test kits, facilitating broader and quicker access in clinical settings.
• Supports ongoing disease monitoring to detect changes in prognosis or therapeutic response.

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Inventors & Applicants

Patent Abstract

The present invention relates to methods of prognosis of survival, of classifying a disease stage, and of selecting the mode of treatment of a patient diagnosed with malignant melanoma, a kit for determination of the level of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) in a sample of a melanoma patient, and the use of this kit for methods of prognosis of survival, of classifying a disease stage and of selecting the mode of treatment of a patient diagnosed with malignant melanoma.