Phlebotomy

The purpose of this study is to identify and confirm new blood and tissue markers for prognosis and tumor hypoxia. Tumor hypoxia, or the condition of low oxygen in the tumor, has been shown to increase the risk of tumor spread and enhance tumor resistance to the standard treatment of radiation and chemotherapy in head and neck and lung cancers. We have recently identified several proteins or markers in the blood and in tumors (including osteopontin, lysyl oxidase, macrophage inhibiting factor and proteomic technology) in the laboratory that may be able to identify tumors with low oxygen levels or more aggressive behaving tumors.