An update on precision medicine: Esophageal adenocarcinoma and molecular testing

International Conference on Molecular Biology and Medicine

August 27-28, 2018 Dubai, UAE

Zakaria Eltahir

Taibah University, Saudi Arabia

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: Mol Biol

Abstract :

Gastroesophageal junction cancer or Barrettâ??s Adenocarcinoma (BA) is increasingly reported in the last four decades. In the Western world esophageal cancer reporting has shifted from SSC to AD. Evidence for some benefits from surveillance found could safe many patientsâ?? lives at risk and relatively cost-effective. Clinical and scientific communities are faced by attempts to reduce mortality of BA as well as failure to detect most cases while at curable stage. It has been a real challenge to distinguish between patients who might develop cancer from those who wouldnâ??t. Indeed, diagnosis has been on debate and variable between different diagnostic schools, particularly for the LGD stage. Molecular markers are urgently needed to facilitate early tumorigenesis detection and to probably help in providing personalize cancer therapies. The ToGA (Trastuzumab for Gastric Cancer) project findings lead to the effective Trastuzumab (Herceptin) medicine to treat gastric and gastroesophageal patients and was approved by FDA in 2010. Her2-neu gene over expression assessment, after successfully used to eliminate those patients with mutated gene in breast cancer patients has provided a vital cure for about 25-30% of BA as in gastric cancer patients. Research in pathogenesis, biomarkers and clinical practice in precision medicine as future directions will be discussed.

Biography :

Zakaria Eltahir has completed his MSc in Cellular Pathology (Cardiff) and Certification of PG in Clinical Oncology (Birmingham) and PhD Histopathology at University of Wales UK. He has worked at Cardiff University, Swansea University as a Postdoctoral Scientist. He has then moved to London and worked at Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and London University (ICR) as a Senior Clinical Researcher on Precision Medicine of the GI Cancers. He is a Registered Professional with HCPC in London as Clinical Scientist in Histopathology Pathology. He is currently working as an Associate Professor in Histopathology and Section Coordinator at Taibah University. He has 47 publications to his credit.

E-mail: zakaria.eltahir@nhs.net