| abstract |
The cytokine TGFβ, in the tumor microenvironment, primes cancer cells for metastasis to the lungs. TGFβ response status (TBRS) can be determined by comparing expression levels of a panel of genes from cancer cells to the expression levels of the same genes in epithelial cell lines before and after induction with TGFβ. A TGFβ gene response signature reveals a clinical association between TGFβ activity in primary estrogen receptor negative (ER-) tumors and risk of lung metastasis. Further, combining the gene signature of the present invention with the known lung metastasis signature (LMS) increases the predictive value of the LMS considerably. |