Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 11, 2026
Simultaneous Imaging and Flow-Cytometry-based Detection of Multiple Fluorescent Senescence Markers in Therapy-Induced Senescent Cancer Cells
Published on: July 12, 2022
Cellular senescence predicts treatment outcome in metastasised colorectal cancer
A M Haugstetter1, C Loddenkemper, D Lenze
1Medical Department of Hematology, Oncology and Tumor Immunology, Molekulares Krebsforschungszentrum der Charité - MKFZ, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany.
Background:
Cellular senescence is a terminal cell-cycle arrest that occurs in response to activated oncogenes and DNA-damaging chemotherapy. Whether cancer cell senescence at diagnosis might be predictive for treatment outcome is unknown.
Methods:
A senescence index (SI) was developed and used to retrospectively correlate the treatment outcome of 30 UICC stage IV colorectal cancer (CRC) patients with their SI at diagnosis.
Results:
5-Fluorouracil/leucovorin-treated CRC patients achieved a significantly longer progression-free survival when presenting with SI-positive tumours before therapy (median 12.0 vs 6.0 months; P=0.044).
Conclusion:
Cancer cell senescence predicts treatment outcome in metastasised CRC. Prospective analyses of larger patient cohorts are needed.
