Personalized treatment for breast cancer

Nice simple explanation from an Oncologist from his view, who is actively involved in treating cancer patients. The article discusses the intertwining of some current treatment plans with up and coming methodologies resulting from the search and study of DNA and genomics, new hope and treatment plans that are helping extend lives and helping to perhaps win the battle with breast cancer. BD

It has long been the dream of doctors to tailor treatment to the specific needs of each individual patient who develops cancer. For women with breast cancer, treatments have long been influenced by general factors such as the patient's overall health, the size of the breast tumor, and whether the tumor cells have spread to the lymph nodes under the arm. Recently completed and ongoing national research protocols have furthered the notion that every breast cancer has its own behavior, and that the more we know about the make-up of the tumor cells the greater our ability to individualize therapy.

People ask me on a daily basis whether I believe that we will ever find "the cure" for cancer. I tell them that cancer is made up of many different diseases, and that its management will require many different cures. I am confident that we are heading in a direction where we will be able to characterize and treat individual cancers based upon their unique genetic characteristics. Many women with breast cancer are already benefiting from this approach.

Dr. Stephen Lutz is a member of the medical staff of Marion General Hospital and is a Radiation Oncologist at the Marion Regional Cancer Center.

Related Reading:

Personalized cancer therapies are out there, but they're not always easy to find (Los Angeles Times)

“Part of the problem is that the trend toward personalized medicine -- which often requires more knowledge on the part of the doctor and more time spent with patients -- is occurring at a time when the doctor-patient relationship is perhaps the least personal it has ever been. Insurance reimbursement for individual therapies can be a barrier to the most state-of-the-art personalized care.

Doctors and patients often make repeated requests to insurers, with evidence in hand, to obtain targeted therapies, Slamon says. Targeted cancer therapies are among the most expensive drugs on the market today. The drug Herceptin costs about $40,000 a year, Avastin $80,000 a year and Erbitux $10,000 per month. If an insurer doesn't cover a drug, the cost puts it out of reach for many people.”

For cancer patients, personalized treatment offers a new range of options -- and hope (Los Angeles Times)

"The science is in its infancy," Slamon says. "Breast cancer is about seven to 10 years ahead in terms of appreciating the diversity of the disease. But those lessons are being applied to other cancers now."

“Slamon spent years trying to persuade others that targeting HER2 would cure some women of breast cancer. Eventually, the drug company Genentech developed Herceptin. "Once Genentech understood that the drug was going to work, the fact that the market was a subset of breast cancer patients didn't deter them at all," he says.”

Translational Medicine – Science 2.0

Cancer Isn't One Size Fits All – Robin Roberts from ABC and Breast Cancer