Topic: Studies

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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Close-up of a white and blue DNA spiral floating in space.

Renal Cell Carcinoma | New Targeted Treatment Discovery

Published by on May 22, 2018 | Share your thoughts

New cancer treatments are being discovered all the time, and recently a new one was found for renal cell carcinoma. Nearly 50 new targeted therapies are released every month, and approximately 500 new studies on cancer alone released each week. However, many of these new therapies can take years to become available through public health care in Canada, if at all, because of the the public healthcare system’s limitations with time and budget. Access the Newest Cancer Treatments Often, the only way to access these superior treatments is through a precision oncology service like CTOAM (Cancer Treatment Options and Management). Our precision oncology consultants use genetic testing to determine the mutations that are driving your cancer and match those to the newest targeted drugs available....
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A scientific image of the top of a person's head with a glowing yellow tumour inside the brain area with a black background.

New Treatment for Glioblastoma – How an Innovative Approach is Saving Lives

Published by on April 5, 2018 | Share your thoughts

New research has found that the addition of tumour-treating fields to temozolomide maintenance improved progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in glioblastoma patients.   New Treatment for Glioblastoma: Addition of Tumour-Treating Fields to Maintenance Temozolomide in Glioblastoma Glioblastoma is one of the most difficult types of cancer to treat. However, treatments are continuing to improve as new precision oncology research emerges. About TTFields: Tumour-treating fields (TTFields) consist of low-intensity, alternating electric fields that are delivered by transducer arrays applied to the scalp. The tumour-treating fields modality interferes with glioblastoma cell division and organelle assembly by delivery of low-intensity alternating electric fields to the tumour. Therefore, researchers were interested in discovering whether adding TTFields to maintenance temozolomide chemotherapy would improve PFS and OS rates for...
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