Abstract: Various embodiments are described herein related to an assay, method and apparatus for performing an RNA Disruption Assay (RDA) for cellular RNA optionally in response to a cytotoxic treatment such as chemotherapy and/or radiation treatment. The method comprises obtaining at least one electropherogram dataset corresponding to a unique biological sample comprising the cellular RNA at a time point, optionally during or after the treatment; determining values for features from at least two shifted regions of the at least one electropherogram dataset, the shifting being due to the treatment; and optionally determining an RDA score based on a combination of the values of the features.

Abstract: A method of evaluating a cancer cell sample, the method comprising: a. obtaining a cancer cell sample, optionally a breast cancer cell sample or an ovarian cancer cell sample, after the cancer cells have been exposed to a radiation dose; b. assaying the cancer cell sample to obtain a RNA integrity value and/or a RNA concentration of the cancer cell sample.

Abstract: A method for the prediction and/or prognosis of survival time of a patient suffering from cancer, comprising the steps of: a) measuring a RDA score in a tumor tissue sample comprising cellular RNA from said patient after said patient has received one or more doses of a cancer treatment; b) comparing said RDA score to one or more predetermined RNA disruption reference values; and c) providing a favorable prediction and/or prognosis of survival time for said patient when said RDA score is higher than said predetermined RNA disruption reference value; or providing an unfavorable prediction and/or prognosis of survival time for said patient when said RDA score is lower than said predetermined RNA disruption reference value, wherein the RDA score is proportional to the degree of RNA disruption.

Abstract: Provided are methods of determining a response to a chemotherapeutic agent in a subject with ovarian cancer, comprising: determining a RNA integrity value of a sample comprising ovarian cancer cell RNA from the subject after the subject has received one or more doses of the chemotherapeutic agent; wherein a low RNA integrity value and/or RNA degradation of the cancer cell RNA is indicative that the cancer is responding to the chemotherapeutic agent and/or a high RNA integrity value and/or stable RNA integrity of the ovarian cancer cell RNA is indicative that the cancer is resistant to the chemotherapeutic agent.