Abstract: Methods are provided for predicting responsiveness of cancer cells to chemotherapy by measuring the level of phosphorylated Stat or the level of expression of Survivin in a cancer and comparing the level in the cancer cell to the respective level in a control. Also provided are methods of selecting a chemotherapeutic treatment for a subject diagnosed with cancer by measuring the level of phosphorylated Stat or the level of expression of Survivin in a cancer and comparing the level in the cancer cell to the respective level in a control. Kits for performing the methods are also provided. Methods for modulating Survivin-dependent apoptosis in a cancer cell are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method of predicting response to treatment with inhibitors of EGFR and SRC by screening for status of key biomarkers such as EGFR. Dasatinib is a drug that can inhibit a group of proteins called SRC proteins. In addition, other experiments have suggested that other important signaling proteins are affected by dasatinib. Early phase trials of dasatinib are ongoing in cancer patients. It will be important to determine which patients receive a clinical benefit of dasatinib. Predetermination of treatment benefit can be performed by assessing biomarkers in patients tumors prior to treatment with dasatinib or other inhibitors of EGFR and SRC. Patients that have positive biomarkers for treatment could then be treated with higher confidence of benefit while those not possessing these predictive biomarkers would avoid ineffective and potentially toxic therapy.