MOLECULAR PROFILING
and Precision Medicine
MOLECULAR PROFILING has ushered in a shift in our approach to cancer treatment. We now personalize our therapies to address the considerable variants in each patient's environment, genetics, and habits to deliver individualized precision medicine. We can distinguish different mutational signatures that contribute to cancer by analyzing genomic data. These mutations are like "fingerprints" that offer clues to the effectiveness of various therapies.
Our team profiles malignant specimens from biopsies or surgery. The type of diagnosis determines the kind of panels produced. The most common profile is an 84-gene panel. The profiling process takes fourteen to twenty-one days from start to finish. With the results, we review treatment options with the patients.
Genetic testing looks for single gene mutations and the effects that genes have on the body. It also looks for abnormalities you may have inherited from your parents. This test can confirm a diagnosis, predict future risk, and identify if you are a carrier. Genetic tests use blood samples, hair, skin, amniotic fluid, or other tissue samples. The genetic testing process is different from the above. Here, we complete a detailed personal past medical history and family history. With this information, we draw labs and order the genetic testing. We receive the results in seven to fourteen days.
Genetic tests may help identify a person's cancer risk, but genomic testing helps identify the genetic markers on a malignant cell.
GENOMIC TESTING identifies the structure, function, mapping, and evolution of the complete set of DNA for all of our genes. It shows how our body works on a molecular level and predicts the aggressiveness of the cancer. Genomic testing can determine how a tumor will likely behave regarding treatment options.
Genomic testing in cancer identifies:
• Tumor behavior
• The aggressiveness of the tumor
• The likelihood the tumor will metastasize
• Predictor of tumor response to drug therapy
GERMLINE GENETIC TESTING detects inherited DNA mutations in reproductive cells (egg or sperm) at conception. People with germline mutations are predisposed to diseases like ovarian cancer, breast cancer, Lynch Syndrome, or inherited high cholesterol. With these traits identified, Dr. Stephenson works with the patient to proactively treat or prevent disease onset or, in some cases, recommend additional screenings to monitor for abnormalities.
SOMATIC GERMLINE TESTING examines the DNA of specific cells in the body to identify any alteration in DNA that occurred after conception. These mutations do not pass from parent to child. In somatic testing, we test known cancer cells. The findings of the test help determine the most beneficial course of treatment. Causes for somatic mutations include environmental exposures to tobacco use, ultraviolet light, viruses, chemical exposures, radiation, and aging.
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