Medical Doctors Technology Are In: Genetics will continue to be main target against cancer
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In recent decades, the desire for more precise, individualized
medical treatment has grown. Personalized medicine uses genetics to
determine which treatments will produce the best results for a specific
patient.
Genes are the segments of DNA that make you who you are. Your genetic makeup not only dictates the color of your hair and eyes, it also helps determine how likely you are to develop specific diseases and how your body will respond to medical treatments.
In 1990, the National Institutes of Health and a number of international partners formed the Human Genome Project. The purpose of the project was to give researchers the tools to better understand the genetic link to human disease. This enabled scientists to develop the now more than 2,000 genetic tests used to diagnose specific diseases or determine an individual’s risk for developing them.
Although the Human Genome Project has been complete for more than 10 years now, new initiatives and programs have been rolled out to help us expand on that knowledge and improve cancer diagnosis, treatment and prevention.
In 2006, the Cancer Genome Atlas research program was launched to identify the genetic abnormalities found in 50 major types of cancer. More recently, President Barack Obama announced the start of a precision medicine initiative, which will expand efforts to increase cancer prevention and treatment success by tailoring treatment to an individual’s genetics, lifestyle and environment.
Cancer cells differ from normal cells and even slight differences can have a big impact on how cancer cells respond to treatment. Countless research hours have gone into identifying these differences and developing drugs and other substances that interfere with the exact molecules that promote the growth and survival of cancer cells. These drugs are known as targeted cancer therapies.
Unlike traditional chemotherapy drugs, which attack all actively dividing cells, targeted therapies zero in on the molecular differences in cancer cells that help tumors grow. Since these drugs attack only cancer cells, patients often experience fewer side effects than they do with traditional chemotherapy. To determine the target for a particular tumor, a small amount of tumor tissue is removed and tested so that the correct targeted therapy drugs can be prescribed.
Biomarker testing, also known as molecular or genetic testing, is an important part of personalized medicine. Molecules are obtained from blood, body fluids and tissues and are analyzed to look for structural changes that may lead to an increased cancer risk. Biomarkers can also help in cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment selection.
Immunotherapy is another form of personalized cancer treatment. Also called biotherapy, this treatment boosts the body’s own immune system so it can help fight cancer. Immunotherapy treatments work in different ways, including targeting specific proteins found on cancer cells to stop cell growth, helping the immune system locate and destroy cancer cells and delivering cancer-fighting drugs or radiation directly to cancer cells.
Cancer vaccines are categorized as immunotherapy, too. Vaccines can be used to prevent certain types of cancer from developing, such as the HPV vaccine that is given to prevent cervical cancer. The vaccines may also function as treatment for specific types of cancer.
These are just some examples of how targeted cancer therapies are being used to produce better outcomes for patients. These personalized cancer therapies are not limited to big cities and research universities. In fact, each of these treatment options is available within the greater Jacksonville area.
Through the use of personalized medicine, physicians are increasingly able to define the differences in individual patients and tailor medical care specifically to them. You can expect genetics to play a substantial role in the future of cancer treatment, diagnosis and prevention.
A board-certified radiation oncologist and the medical director of Ackerman Cancer Center, Scot Ackerman is the former president of the American Cancer Society’s Florida chapter. He has been in private practice in Jacksonville for more than 25 years and is a member of the Duval County Medical Society.
Source : jacksonville
Genes are the segments of DNA that make you who you are. Your genetic makeup not only dictates the color of your hair and eyes, it also helps determine how likely you are to develop specific diseases and how your body will respond to medical treatments.
In 1990, the National Institutes of Health and a number of international partners formed the Human Genome Project. The purpose of the project was to give researchers the tools to better understand the genetic link to human disease. This enabled scientists to develop the now more than 2,000 genetic tests used to diagnose specific diseases or determine an individual’s risk for developing them.
Although the Human Genome Project has been complete for more than 10 years now, new initiatives and programs have been rolled out to help us expand on that knowledge and improve cancer diagnosis, treatment and prevention.
In 2006, the Cancer Genome Atlas research program was launched to identify the genetic abnormalities found in 50 major types of cancer. More recently, President Barack Obama announced the start of a precision medicine initiative, which will expand efforts to increase cancer prevention and treatment success by tailoring treatment to an individual’s genetics, lifestyle and environment.
Cancer cells differ from normal cells and even slight differences can have a big impact on how cancer cells respond to treatment. Countless research hours have gone into identifying these differences and developing drugs and other substances that interfere with the exact molecules that promote the growth and survival of cancer cells. These drugs are known as targeted cancer therapies.
Unlike traditional chemotherapy drugs, which attack all actively dividing cells, targeted therapies zero in on the molecular differences in cancer cells that help tumors grow. Since these drugs attack only cancer cells, patients often experience fewer side effects than they do with traditional chemotherapy. To determine the target for a particular tumor, a small amount of tumor tissue is removed and tested so that the correct targeted therapy drugs can be prescribed.
Biomarker testing, also known as molecular or genetic testing, is an important part of personalized medicine. Molecules are obtained from blood, body fluids and tissues and are analyzed to look for structural changes that may lead to an increased cancer risk. Biomarkers can also help in cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment selection.
Immunotherapy is another form of personalized cancer treatment. Also called biotherapy, this treatment boosts the body’s own immune system so it can help fight cancer. Immunotherapy treatments work in different ways, including targeting specific proteins found on cancer cells to stop cell growth, helping the immune system locate and destroy cancer cells and delivering cancer-fighting drugs or radiation directly to cancer cells.
Cancer vaccines are categorized as immunotherapy, too. Vaccines can be used to prevent certain types of cancer from developing, such as the HPV vaccine that is given to prevent cervical cancer. The vaccines may also function as treatment for specific types of cancer.
These are just some examples of how targeted cancer therapies are being used to produce better outcomes for patients. These personalized cancer therapies are not limited to big cities and research universities. In fact, each of these treatment options is available within the greater Jacksonville area.
Through the use of personalized medicine, physicians are increasingly able to define the differences in individual patients and tailor medical care specifically to them. You can expect genetics to play a substantial role in the future of cancer treatment, diagnosis and prevention.
A board-certified radiation oncologist and the medical director of Ackerman Cancer Center, Scot Ackerman is the former president of the American Cancer Society’s Florida chapter. He has been in private practice in Jacksonville for more than 25 years and is a member of the Duval County Medical Society.
Source : jacksonville
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