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There have been many advancements in treating chronic diseases, including cancer care. Successful treatments have resulted in lower mortality rates, yet more research is needed to eliminate cancer.
Intermountain Healthcare has been working toward eliminating cancer through genomic testing, and as a result, precision medicine. By harnessing the intricacies of DNA, treatments can be targeted to specific genes rather than trying to attack larger sections of the body. Precision medicine can result in fewer side effects and a better quality of life.
What is precision medicine?
Precision medicine is a way of treating disease based on a person’s genes, environmental factors, and lifestyle. A genetic test is used to look for mutations in a person’s cells that may be causing disease.
In years past, most treatments were based on how the majority of people would favorably respond to a standard treatment. Now, healthcare providers have the ability to custom fit an approved treatment to a specific cellular mutation. Precision genomics has made great strides in cancer care because cancer cells often have multiple mutations, increasing the chance of finding a mutation/treatment match.
How does targeted therapy work?
The genomic test can help locate mutations in DNA that affect cancer growth. Think of how targeted therapies work by picturing how the mail system functions. A mailed letter goes through many steps in order go from point A to point B. If one of these steps is interrupted, the mail does not arrive.
Targeted therapies interfere with a step that allows a cancer cell to get the message to grow and divide. Without the message, the cell dies. When enough cells die, the cancer tumor shrinks.
What are the benefits of precison genomics?
Here are four ways that precision genomics allows our cancer care team to create a more effective and more personalized cancer treatment plan:
- Prolong life expectancy
- Deliver targeted therapies that minimize side effects
- Help patients and families maintain quality of life
- Help patients and families achieve goals such as enjoying retirement, raising children or continuing to work
Precision genomics also helps physicians deliver more accurate prognoses and gives patients and their families hope. Precision genomics helps caregivers feel more confident that they are providing the best care options for their loved ones, while reducing the risk of hospital stays and emergency room visits due to severe side effects.
Learn more about targeted therapies at Intermountain’s Precision Genomics website.
