Topic: Genetic Testing

From Coma to Complete Remission: Kayleigh’s Incredible Story

Published by on June 23, 2021 | Share your thoughts

Is complete remission really possible when you’re stage IV? With precision oncology, yes! “We got a call from my oncologist saying that I had a complete response to my treatment – that was probably the best day of my life.” In April 2021, Kayleigh achieved complete remission from a rare form of blood cancer. But, you should know… Kayleigh and her husband, Cassidy, had been through hell before Kayleigh was able to finally get the treatment she needed. Standard care had taken WAY too long to diagnose her rare form of lymphoma.  The Worst Case Scenario… They were in dire straights: Kayleigh was in a life-threatening coma.  Cassidy was terrified, frantically researching any and all options that could save his wife’s life. He’d quickly realized...
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How to Avoid Cancer Treatment Regret – Connie’s Hard Lesson

Published by on June 9, 2021 1 Comment

Don’t regret your cancer treatment choices. Learn from Connie’s mistakes… I first spoke with Connie three years ago. Newly diagnosed with breast cancer, she wanted to make sure she was doing everything she could. She and her husband were terrified.  They lived in Ontario with their young daughter, Abigail. Connie was an orthodontist who prided herself on her work. Her husband worked for a big tech company, a job he also loved. But as steady and strong as Connie and her husband were, they were not at all prepared to deal with cancer…(after all, who is?!) In 2018, they heard those dreaded words: Connie had breast cancer.  Their peaceful life was turned upside down. After a good cry and some deep breaths, they did just the right thing –...
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Audubon Bioscience

Exciting Cancer Research News – CTOAM is Partnering with Audubon Bioscience!

Published by on April 28, 2021 | Share your thoughts

I’m very excited and proud to share that our team at CTOAM has partnered with Audubon Bioscience!  We are joining forces to raise awareness and educate doctors and patients about the value of precision oncology and innovative diagnostic methods such as tumour DNA sequencing.   One of our biggest missions at CTOAM is to make precision oncology available to as many cancer patients as possible. How Progress is Happening with Audubon Bioscience It’s no small feat to get these advanced diagnostics and treatments integrated into standard care…but we are tirelessly working toward it, one step at a time. And thanks to the work that Audubon Bioscience is doing, science will be able to develop new targeted therapies, immunotherapies, and numerous other treatment options and diagnostics much...
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A Second Chance

A Second Chance for John

Published by on November 11, 2020 | Share your thoughts

John’s wife Nan had been diagnosed with an advanced form of cervical cancer nearly a decade ago. They spent about 5 years trying to fight it through standard care. Nan got surgery, radiation, and many rounds of chemo. She grew worse. They eventually reached out to us when it looked like there was nothing more that could be done for Nan, except for palliative chemo, through standard care. We took a look at her case and immediately sent Nan for genetic testing. Our cancer expert Alex Rolland found several promising treatment options based on results, including immunotherapy. However, due to various factors at the time, John and Nan decided to stick with standard care and continue with the palliative chemo. Nan passed away several months...
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Childhood cancer

Childhood Cancer: Why Do Kids Get Cancer?

Published by on August 26, 2020 | Share your thoughts

You might have wondered why children get cancer…  It’s a very fair question – after all, we know that many cancers are influenced by lifestyle factors. Things like smoking or obesity can indeed impact your chance of getting cancer over time…but not when you’re, say, 5 years old.  So why do some kids end up suffering from cancer? Our cancer expert, Alex Rolland, explains in this video below. Why childhood cancer occurs Here’s a quick rule of thumb, according to Alex: If someone has been diagnosed with cancer under the age of 50, it’s almost certain that they’ve inherited a cancer-related genetic mutation. In other words, they were born with it.  And it could either be a germline mutation (aka something passed down from a...
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Cancer Misdiagnosis

Is a Cancer Misdiagnosis Common?

Published by on July 29, 2020 1 Comment

Perhaps the only thing scarier than a cancer diagnosis is learning that you’ve been misdiagnosed. Of course, if it turns out that you don’t actually have cancer, then that’s amazing news! (Although, wouldn’t you have wanted to avoid the whole ‘cancer scare’ if you didn’t even have it in the first place?) Sadly, what’s far more common is when people are misdiagnosed with the wrong type of cancer. Which means that instead of getting the right treatment from the get-go, you were wandering down the wrong path, wasting precious time, through no fault of your own. Our cancer expert, Alex Rolland, explains more in this video. How often does cancer misdiagnosis occur? Watch here ⬇️ When someone calls us at CTOAM, they usually want to...
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A composite image of close-up photos of blood samples.

Early Detection Can Save Your Life! | Newsletter Issue 11

Published by on February 13, 2019 1 Comment

Each year, 9.6 million people die of cancer. In fact, cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide. But did you know that up to 3.7 million lives could be saved each year through prevention, early detection, and fast & precise treatment? In this issue, we are going to focus on early cancer detection and how Precision Oncology – the most scientifically advanced cancer care available – can help you, and your loved ones, detect cancer as early as possible. CTOAM exists to support cancer patients around the globe to access the very best cancer care available, from anywhere in the world, right where you live. Helping cancer patients and their families to be aware of all their options is crucial to CTOAM’s goal...
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A notepad with a list of new year's resolutions for 2019 written with blank spaces.

5 New Year’s Resolutions to Make When You Have Cancer

Published by on January 5, 2019 2 Comments

It’s that time of year again…time for the annual barrage of “New Year, New You” articles, memes, and discussions around the water cooler. If you have cancer, though, this year is probably looking a bit different. The typical New Year’s resolutions to lose weight, start running, cut out gluten, or floss daily don’t seem that important. You have one goal and wish for this year – and that’s to survive cancer. Our client care team at CTOAM has put together a list of things you can do this year that are scientifically proven to increase your chances of beating cancer. So that you can look forward to many more years of making New Year’s resolutions and spending time with your loved ones. 1. Get a...
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A DNA strand overlaps a close-up of a cancer cell.

How Genomic Profiling Increases Cancer Patients’ Chances of Survival!

Published by on October 3, 2018 3 Comments

In nearly a decade of helping people recover from cancer, CTOAM’s precision oncology specialists have never seen two people with exactly the same cancer. Our specialists have seen people with breast, lung, brain, and prostate cancer, as well as other types of cancer – and, even within the same category, no two people have had the exact same mutations driving their cancer. Therefore, each of our patients has required a unique combination of advanced targeted therapies and nutraceuticals, and sometimes in addition to other treatment interventions. In order to have the best chance of recovery from cancer, your treatment must target your unique genetic mutations. And for that, you need genomic profiling and Precision Oncology’s gene-based approach to cancer care. What is Cancer? Cancer is...
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How Genomic Profiling is Guiding Cancer Treatment

Published by on August 20, 2018 | Share your thoughts

Genomic profiling is approved by the FDA to help guide cancer treatment and clinical trial enrolment for cancer patients. Among other things, this approval allows the genetic test, F1CDx (FoundationOne CDx), to be used as a companion diagnostic test for 15 different targeted therapies used to treat five types of cancer. What is Genomic Profiling for Cancer Treatment? At its most basic, genomic profiling involves testing a patient’s genes – aka tumour DNA sequencing – to identify the exact genetic mutations that are driving that person’s form of cancer. After we identify the person’s genetic mutations, we find a targeted therapy to match. In other words, we find a drug that’s designed specifically to kill the patient’s exact genetic mutations. Not all genetic mutations have...
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