VOA常速英语2015--Oncotype DX基因检测

Oncotype DX基因检测

When samples of breast tissue show the presence of a malignant¹ tumor², doctors often prescribe surgery followed by a six-month treatment of medicine, which could include chemotherapy to prevent further spread of cancer cells.

乳房组织样本检测出了恶性肿瘤的存在，随即医生会进行手术，之后接受6个月的药物治疗，其中包括防止癌细胞扩散的化疗。

Chemotherapy kills the remaining cancer cells but also has adverse³ side effects, nausea⁴, hair loss, fatigue⁵, as well as possible infertility⁶ and damage to some organs.

化疗能够杀死身体中存在的癌细胞，然而这将伴随着副作用，恶心、脱发、疲惫，还有可能会患有不育症，甚至对脏器构成损害。

We know that some drugs can affect the heart. There's a question about long-term effects of slightly increasing the risks of dementia for instance. Apart from that, of course, there's the unpleasantness of the four months of treatment that's required, and it'll often take people out of work for six months.

我们知道，许多药物能够对心脏构成影响。长期的副作用还有可能增加患痴呆症的风险。除此之外，这4个月的必要治疗还会给病患带来痛苦，在这6个月的时间里，人们通常不能工作。

A new test developed in the U.S., called Oncotype DX, determines how the patient will respond to chemotherapy.

在美国，人们研发了一种名叫“Oncotype DX”的检测技术，它能够决定患者对化疗的应答情况。

Oncotype DX is effectively telling you about the inside workings of the cell, which particular genes⁷ have gone wrong to create that particular cancer, and, from a reading of those genes, we can then get more information about whether this tumor is the sort that is likely to spread to some other part of the body, or not.

“Oncotype DX”能够告诉你体内细胞的工作情况，它也能够对造成癌细胞的某种基因作出判断，从这些基因中，我们能够对该肿瘤转移到其他脏器的可能性作出评估。

Avoiding chemotherapy after surgery means that patients like Nia Barton can resume their normal lives except for regular checkups to make sure they remain cancer free.

像尼亚·巴顿这样术后不进行化疗的病患，除了对癌细胞进行定期检查外，她可以恢复到正常人的生活。

Oncotype DX is one of several gene-based tests that can tell doctors how likely the recurrence⁸ of the disease is, and it is most accurate in the early stages. Similar tests, such as Prosigna and Endopredict, are undergoing clinical trials in the UK, Germany and Austria.

“Oncotype DX”是多种基因检测中的一种，它能够告诉医生疾病再次复发的可能性，这在早期治疗阶段更为准确。与之相似的还有“Prosigna”以及“Endopredict”，这两种检测正在英国、德国以及奥地利接受临床试验。

 

So far, Oncotype DX is used only in cases of breast cancer, but researchers say similar tests can be developed for other types of cancer.

到目前为止，“Oncotype DX”仅用于乳腺癌的检测，然而研究人员称，类似检测也能够运用到其他癌症当中。

1 malignant   

adj.恶性的，致命的；恶意的，恶毒的

参考例句：

• Alexander got a malignant slander.亚历山大受到恶意的诽谤。
• He started to his feet with a malignant glance at Winston.他爬了起来，不高兴地看了温斯顿一眼。

2 tumor   

n.（肿）瘤，肿块(英)tumour

参考例句：

• He was died of a malignant tumor.他死于恶性肿瘤。
• The surgeons irradiated the tumor.外科医生用X射线照射那个肿瘤。

3 adverse   

adj.不利的；有害的；敌对的，不友好的

参考例句：

• He is adverse to going abroad.他反对出国。
• The improper use of medicine could lead to severe adverse reactions.用药不当会产生严重的不良反应。

4 nausea   

n.作呕，恶心；极端的憎恶(或厌恶)

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕期常有恶心的现象。
• He experienced nausea after eating octopus.吃了章鱼后他感到恶心。

5 fatigue   

n.疲劳，劳累

参考例句：

• The old lady can't bear the fatigue of a long journey.这位老妇人不能忍受长途旅行的疲劳。
• I have got over my weakness and fatigue.我已从虚弱和疲劳中恢复过来了。

6 infertility   

n.不肥沃，不毛；不育

参考例句：

• It is the Geneva, Switzerland-based Biotech Company's second recombinant infertility drug. 它是瑞士生物技术公司在日内瓦的公司生产的第二种重组治疗不孕症的药。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术制药疫苗
• Endometritis is a cause of infertility. 子宫内膜炎是不育的原子。 来自辞典例句

7 genes   

n.基因( gene的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因，所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪

8 recurrence   

n.复发，反复，重现

参考例句：

• More care in the future will prevent recurrence of the mistake.将来的小心可防止错误的重现。
• He was aware of the possibility of a recurrence of his illness.他知道他的病有可能复发。