Method for detecting and controlling cancer

Abstract

Disclosed herein are: 1) methods for determining the appropriate drug therapy for a patient with colorectal cancer that has metastasized to the patient's liver and/or lung; 2) methods for treating such a patient; and 3) pharmaceutical compositions for such treatment.

1 - 30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . A method for determining the appropriate drug therapy for a patient with colorectal cancer that has metastasized to the patient's liver and/or lung comprising the steps of:
 (a) analyzing a sample of the metastatic cancer from the patient to determine if two or more of the following proteins are elevated: pAKT, pSTAT3, pVEGFR, pFKHR-FKHRL1, pcKit, pShc, pSMAD2, pSrc, pSTAT5, pAbl, pJak1, pPyk2, pPDGFRb, pPRAS40, and pEGFR; and   (b) selecting one or more drugs for treating the patient that target at least two of any of the proteins found to be elevated, wherein the drugs are selected from the group consisting of Imatinib mesylate, Bevacizumab, Erlotinib hydrochloride, Panitumumab, Lapatinib, an akt inhibitor, and a PI3 kinase inhibitor.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the step of analyzing the sample comprises:
 isolating epithelial cells from the sample;   lysing the epithelial cells; and   analyzing the lysate.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the cells are isolated by laser capture microdissection and the lysate is distributed onto a reverse phase microarray and then analyzed by an immunoassay. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the proteins determined to be elevated are at least two of pAKT, pAbl, pcKit, pPDGFRb, pVEGFR, and pEGFR. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the selected drug is Imatinib mesylate if pAbl, pcKit, and/or pPDGFRb are elevated, Bevacizumab if pVEGFR is elevated, and Erlotinib hydrochloride, and/or Lapatinib if pEGFR is elevated. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the protein or proteins determined to be elevated are at least two of pAbl, pcKit, and pPDGFRb. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the selected drug is Imatinib mesylate. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the proteins are pAKT S473, pSTAT3 S727, pVEGFR Y951 and Y996, pFKHR-FKHRL1 T24-T32, pcKit Y703, pShc Y317, pSMAD2 S465-467, pSrc Y527, pSTAT5 Y694, pAbl Y245, pJak1 Y1022-1023, pPyk2 Y402, pPDGFRb Y751, pPRAS40, and pEGFR Y992 and Y1173. 
     
     
         39 . A method for determining the appropriate drug therapy for a patient with colorectal cancer that has metastasized to the patient's liver and/or lung comprising the steps of:
 (a) analyzing a sample of the metastatic cancer from the patient to determine if two or more of the following proteins are elevated: pAKT S473, pSTAT3 S727, pVEGFR Y951 and Y996, pFKHR-FKHRL1 T24-T32, pcKit Y703, pShc Y317, pSMAD2 S465-467, pSrc Y527, pSTAT5 Y694, pAbl Y245, pJak1 Y1022-1023, pPyk2 Y402, pPDGFRb Y751, pPRAS40, and pEGFR Y992 and Y1173; and   (b) selecting one or more drugs for treating the patient that target at least two of any of the proteins found to be elevated, wherein the drug is selected from the group consisting of Imatinib mesylate, Bevacizumab, Erlotinib hydrochloride, Panitumumab, Lapatinib, and akt inhibitor, and a PI3 kinase inhibitor.   
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the proteins determined to be elevated are at least two of pAKT S473, pAbl Y245, pcKit Y703, pPDGFRb Y751, pVEGFR Y951 and Y996, and pEGFR Y992 and Y1173. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the selected drug is Imatinib mesylate if pAbl Y245, pcKit Y703, and/or pPDGFRb Y751 are elevated, Bevacizumab if pVEGFR Y951 and/or Y996 is elevated, and Erlotinib hydrochloride and/or Lapatinib if pEGFR Y992 and/or Y1173 is elevated. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the protein or proteins determined to be elevated are at least two of pAbl Y245, pcKit Y703, and pPDGFRb Y751 and the selected drug is Imatinib mesylate. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the step of analyzing the sample comprises:
 isolating epithelial cells from the sample;   lysing the epithelial cells; and   analyzing the lysate.   
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the cells are isolated by laser capture microdissection and the lysate is distributed onto a reverse phase microarray and then analyzed by an immunoassay. 
     
     
         45 . A pharmaceutical composition, comprising an effective amount of:
 (a) two or more inhibitors of pAKT, pSTAT3, pVEGFR, pFKHR-FKHRL1, pFAK, pcKit, pShc, pSMAD2, pSrc, pSTAT5, pAbl, pJak1, pPyk2, pPDGFRb, pPRAS40, and pEGFR; and   (b) a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.   
       wherein the inhibitors are selected from the group consisting of Imatinib mesylate, Bevacizumab, Erlotinib hydrochloride, Panitumumab, Lapatinib, an akt inhibitor, and a PI3 kinase inhibitor.