Framework may help bring genomic analysis to clinical setting

The true value of personalized care as it relates to cancer treatment has not yet been achieved, although some doctors are pining to create processes for implementing new diagnostic and treatment strategies into a clinical setting. This would make the research contributions of those with clinical research jobs even more meaningful.

One such framework, developed by the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research's (OICR) Dr. Tom Hudson, would facilitate the integration of targeted care into standard medical practices. Specficially, the framework calls for the analysis of patient tumors by using genetic information about that patient.

Doctors now understand that different types of cancer have a wide array of effects on patients, whereas in the past, medical professionals believed cancer to be a singular ailment that eventually could ravage the entire body. Now, with the onset of genetic testing, doctors are able to better understand risk factors, which should lead to more efficient diagnostic process and improved patient health.

Personalized medicine will allow doctors to track the effectiveness of treatments on specific patients. When medical professionals can analyze specific factors related to a particular patient's malady, the precision and speed of care could improve. For example, doctors can use personalized medicine to analyze tumors in cancer patients and then adjust treatments accordingly.

"As the cost of genome sequencing decreases, we are presented with the reality that soon genome analysis will be no more or less expensive than most diagnostic tests in use today," Hudson said. "This presents a huge opportunity to improve diagnosis for patients and ultimately improve patient outcomes. But in order to implement these tools, we must first understand their impact in a clinical setting."

Laboratories that conduct diagnostic analysis by relying on genomic information should contact a clinical research recruiter to identify individuals seeking diagnostic careers who have an interest in personalized medicine.

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