Oncology Precision Medicine
Customizing Your Cancer Treatment
Precision medicine, also known as personalized medicine, has transformed how doctors approach cancer care. By analyzing genetic changes and other underlying factors driving your tumor's growth, we develop targeted treatments that address the specific molecular characteristics of your cancer. This personalized approach ensures that your treatment plan is tailored to the unique needs of your condition.
Why Precision Medicine is Important
In the past, patients with the same type and stage of cancer were typically given the same treatment. However, precision medicine allows us to analyze the genetic and molecular changes specific to your tumor, enabling us to:
- Match you with the most effective drug or therapy for your cancer
- Avoid treatments that may not work against your tumor, sparing you unnecessary side effects and reducing costs
- Provide more accurate diagnoses and predictions about the tumor’s behavior, such as its growth rate
This approach is highly effective in ensuring that treatments are both personalized and precise, improving your chances of success.
The Precision Medicine Process
The precision medicine process starts with a tissue or blood sample (biopsy), which is sent to a lab for genomic testing, also known as molecular profiling or tumor profiling. By studying genetic changes specific to your cancer, our doctors gain the information needed to select the best treatment option for you.
Precision Medicine and Clinical Trials
At John Theurer Cancer Center, precision medicine plays a key role in clinical trials. By using molecular profiling, we can identify patients who are most likely to benefit from new treatments being tested. For example, if a new drug targets a specific protein on cancer cells, we can ensure that only patients whose tumors contain that protein are enrolled in the trial.
This approach helps expedite cancer research, yielding faster results that can support the drug's effectiveness and lead to quicker FDA approvals.
Examples of Precision Medicine in Practice
Precision medicine has led to the FDA approval of many cancer treatments designed to target specific genetic or molecular changes. Some examples include:
- Crizotinib (Xalkori®): For patients with non-small cell lung cancer containing mutations in the ROS or ALK genes
- Dabrafenib (Tafinlar®) and trametinib (Mekinist®): For patients with melanoma containing mutations in the BRAF gene
- Imatinib (Gleevec®): For patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) with the "Philadelphia chromosome" genetic abnormality
- Trastuzumab (Herceptin®): For patients with HER2-positive breast cancer, which produces high levels of the HER2 protein
