RESEARCH TODAY
targeted treatments. These targeted, or
"personalized," treatments work well in
those patients whose cancer cells carry
the corresponding genomic abnormality. Likewise in patients with advanced
colon cancer, the presence or absence of
one specifc genomic abnormality in the
cancer cell tells us if some of the newer
treatments will or will not be appropriate
for that patient's colon cancer."
Stay tuned for genomics to play a
larger role in the treatment of all cancer
types in the future. "The whole feld of
medical oncology is changing—and very
we are trying to identify specifc targets."
rapidly," Dr. Citrin says. "The paradigm
has shifted. We are no longer trying to
kill cancer cells nonspecifcally. Instead
a haystack—instead it is as if they have a
precision GPS tracking device.
"Personalized medicine means that
GENOMICS AND
PERSONALIZED CARE
That paradigm shift means a trend
toward more-personalized care. Historically, cancer treatment has been one-sizefts-all, meaning the standard of care was
the same for all patients with a certain
type of cancer. Genomics changes everything. By understanding the genomics—
or blueprint—of a person's cancer, doctors can now treat it very specifcally. No
longer are doctors looking for a needle in
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we tailor the treatment of a patient
based on the unique genomic features
of that patient's cancer," Dr. Panicker
says. "Genomics is the backbone of personalized medicine. It allows us to provide personalized cancer treatment for a
patient's specifc cancer."
By identifying mutations and understanding what is driving the cancer's
growth, doctors can tailor treatment to the
individual tumor and patient. This is precision cancer treatment—it focuses on the
individual tumor in the individual patient.
It is the cancer treatment of the future: customized, targeted and specifc.
Visit Cancer Fighters Thrive online at CFThrive.com to get tips
on keeping healthy and stress-free while traveling this holiday
season. Staying at home for the holidays? Log online to get some
healthy holiday recipes in preparation for a season of entertaining
family and friends.
Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pie Muffins
Karen Marr, RD
40 cancer fighters thrive | winter 2013
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