What is Precision Medicine?

In past years, all patients with a particular form of cancer were administered the same treatment, regardless of their background, family history, or the type of tumor they were dealing with. However, with advanced technologies and breakthrough research, we now know that all tumors have unique qualities, even if they share the same cancer type. In fact, the location of the tumor matters less than its molecular profile.

Now, through the use of patient biomarkers, cancer specialists are able to characterize differences or mutations in a specific type of tumor. With this added level of detail, a patient’s cancer team is better equipped to create a more comprehensive cancer treatment plan – one that is built to suit the exact needs and genomic profile of the patient in front of them.

The biomarkers used to indicate a tumor’s abnormality include DNA, RNA, protein profiles, and metabolomic profiles. Each of these biomarkers can be used to help with the following:

• Evaluating if a patient has a low/high risk of developing certain cancers
• Discovering if a patient has a high probability of recurring cancer diagnoses
• Determining whether a specific cancer therapy is working or will work for a patient

After a biomarker is indicated in a patient’s tumor or genomic sequencing, their cancer team will establish if any available treatment drugs are designed to target that abnormality. If so, the patient will often be administered that drug at the start of treatment, or in conjunction with other forms of medication, surgery, or oncology.

Because of this approach, precision medicine ends up leading to a more fruitful care program and better patient outcome by providing several benefits to their treatment plan, including:

• Improved Diagnosis: Precision medicine enables healthcare providers to diagnose conditions more accurately and earlier in the disease process, which can improve outcomes and reduce the need for invasive or costly treatments.
• Reduced Side Effects: By using treatments that are specifically targeted to an individual patient’s unique genetic makeup, precision medicine has the potential to reduce the number and severity of side effects associated with treatment.
• Improved Survival Rates: Precision medicine has the potential to improve survival rates for patients with cancer and other complex diseases by identifying the most effective treatment options for each individual patient.
• Increased Understanding of Disease: By analyzing large amounts of data from patients, precision medicine can increase our understanding of diseases and their underlying causes. This can lead to the development of new and improved treatments.

This is a very promising field in cancer research, and one that shows the ability to extend patient lives. However, while we continue to learn about the common differentiations of biomarkers and how they affect cancer treatment, it’s important to note that this is a growing field, and there are still several treatment options in the early stages of research. At the time of this writing, not all tumor abnormalities are actionable.

The Capital Health Precision Oncology Program is distinctively designed to meet an individual patient’s needs in real time. Leveraging our accreditation as the only cancer center in the region with NCORP/NCI access to the National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN), we are able to incorporate cutting-edge bioinformatics, deep learning, and other advanced tools to help our patients spend more time with their physicians. This personalized approach allows us to create a better, more thoughtful treatment journey, offering patients all the best that Capital Health has to offer:

• Advanced Technology: Incorporating advanced technologies, such as next-generation sequencing and liquid biopsy, we offer patients the most advanced and accurate testing available.
• Rapid Turnaround Time: Streamlining our process for collecting, analyzing, and using patient data, we allow patients to start their personalized treatment plan as soon as possible.
• Collaborative Team Approach: Bringing together a team of experts from various disciplines, including medical oncologists, genetic counselors, and pathologists, we offer a unique, collaborative approach to precision medicine, ensuring that each patient receives the best possible care.
• Clinical Trials: Offering patients access to cutting-edge clinical trials, we give them ability to try new treatments that may not be available at other hospitals in the region.

Patient Education and Support: Provoding educational resources and support services, such as genetic counseling and patient advocacy programs, we do everything we can to support patients throughout their journey and empower them to make informed decisions about their care.

The Capital Health Cancer Center takes a unique approach to precision medicine, which is incorporated throughout the patient’s cancer journey. From diagnosis, to decision making, to therapy, our team works hand-in-hand with the our cancer lab to create a seamless experience for the patient. It typically works as follows:

• Tumor Cell Collection: After a patient has undergone surgical removal of their tumor, a sample of the tumor cells is collected and sent to a laboratory for analysis.
• Laboratory Analysis: The laboratory analyzes the collected tumor cells to identify any genetic mutations or changes that are driving the growth of the cancer.
• Incorporation of Liquid Biopsies: A type of diagnostic test, liquid biopsying involves analyzing a patient’s blood or other bodily fluids for cancer cells or genetic mutations associated with cancer. It is becoming an increasingly important tool in cancer care for recurrence of disease detection, monitoring the presence of minimal residual disease, and guiding therapeutic decisions.
• Multidisciplinary Discussion and Treatment Plan Development: Once the laboratory results are available, the medical oncology team uses the information to determine the best course of treatment for the patient. This may involve selecting a targeted therapy drug or combination of drugs that target the specific genetic mutations found in the patient’s tumor cells.
• Patient Discussion: At the first appointment with the medical oncology team, the patient discusses the results of the laboratory analysis with their physician. The physician explains the treatment plan, the potential benefits and risks, and answers any questions the patient may have, including clinical trials available.

In summary, our Cancer Center’s approach to precision medicine fits into the patient care plan by using the results of a laboratory analysis to determine the best course of treatment for each individual patient. This personalized approach has the potential to improve patient outcomes and reduce side effects associated with treatment.

The concept of a cancer biomarker can sometimes be difficult for a patient to understand, especially one who has recently been diagnosed with cancer. The has a detailed, reader-friendly explanation of what biomarkers are, what their role is in making treatment decisions, and how biomarker testing is conducted, which patients can find using the link at the bottom of the page.

The, which calls itself the largest professionally led nonprofit network of cancer support worldwide, is dedicated to “ensuring that all people impacted by cancer are empowered by knowledge, strengthened by action, and sustained by community.”