Biomarkers to identify patients that will respond to treatment and treating such patients

A method for predicting whether a cancer patient will respond to combination treatment with a histone deacetylase-6 (HDAC6) inhibitor and a proteasome inhibitor comprising the steps of:

• a) measuring the expression level of a gene selected from the group consisting of UDP-glucose dehydrogenase (UGDH);
• H2A histone family, member Y2 (H2AFY2);
• myosin VC (MYO5C);
• nephronectin (NPNT);
• KIAA1598 (KIAA1598);
• serglycin (SRGN);
• collagen, type VI, alpha 3 (COL6A3);
• G-protein signaling modulator 3 (GPSM3);
• hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 (HSD11B1);
• peroxisomal biogenesis factor 6 (PEX6);
• ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 2 (RAC2);
• synovial sarcoma, X breakpoint 5 (SSX5);
• and acyl-Coenzyme A binding domain containing 3 (ACBD3);
• in a biological sample from the cancer patient;
• and
• b) correlating a low expression level, as compared to a normalized gene expression level of the gene, of any one or more of the genes UGDH, H2AFY2, MYO5C, NPNT, and KIAA1598 as an indication that the patient will respond to such treatment;
• or correlating a high expression level of the gene, as compared to a normalized gene expression level, of any one or more of the genes SRGN, COL6A3, GPSM3, HSD11B1, PEX6, RAC2, SSX5, and ACBD3 as an indication that the patient will respond to such treatment;
• and
• c) administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of a HDAC6 inhibitor and a proteasome inhibitor.