Identification and treatment of cancer subsets

Abstract

Methods of predicting whether or not a tumor will be responsive to IP6 treatment, methods of treating patients with cancer using IP6, methods of predicting the progression of a disease, and kits that facilitate these methods are disclosed.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method of treating a tumor, the method comprising the step of:
 contacting the tumor with an effective therapeutic amount of a pharmaceutical composition comprising inositol hexaphosphate (IP6) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein tumor is associated with skin cancer. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the tumor is squamous cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma in situ, or actinic keratosis. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the tumor is suspect to be squamous cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma in situ, or actinic keratosis. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the tumor has an INPP5 deletion. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pharmaceutical composition comprises at least one excipient. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pharmaceutical composition is formulated for topical administration. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein contacting the tumor comprises topically administering the pharmaceutical composition to a subject with the tumor. 
     
     
         9 . A method of treating skin cancer, the method comprising the step of:
 administering to a subject suspect of having skin cancer an effective therapeutic amount of a pharmaceutical composition comprising IP6 or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the skin cancer is selected from the group consisting of squamous cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma in situ. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein cells of the skin cancer have an INPP5 deletion. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the pharmaceutical composition is formulated for topical administration. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the pharmaceutical composition is formulated as at least one of a liquid solution, cream, paste, lotion, shake lotion, powder, emulsion, ointment, gel base, and a transdermal patch. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the pharmaceutical composition comprises at least one excipient. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one excipient is selected from the list consisting of petrolatum, lanolin, polyethylene glycols, beeswax, mineral oil, diluents such as water and alcohol, and emulsifiers and stabilizers, and one or more thickening agents. 
     
     
         16 . A method of treating a subject with skin cancer or a condition that may progress to skin cancer, the method comprising the step of:
 administering to the subject an effective therapeutic amount of a pharmaceutical composition comprising IP6 or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the pharmaceutical composition comprises at least one excipient selected from the list consisting of petrolatum, lanolin, polyethylene glycols, beeswax, mineral oil, diluents such as water and alcohol, and emulsifiers and stabilizers, and one or more thickening agents. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the pharmaceutical composition is formulated for topical administration. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the pharmaceutical composition is formulated as at least one of a liquid solution, cream, paste, lotion, shake lotion, powder, emulsion, ointment, gel base, and a transdermal patch. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the skin cancer or condition that may progress to skin cancer is selected from the group consisting of squamous cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma in situ, or actinic keratosis, and further where in the skin cancer or condition that may progress to skin cancer is associated with cells that have an INPP5 deletion.