There are several benefits to combining patient assays from Functional Profiling with 11,000 patient studies when it comes to ensuring that a cancer patient receives the correct treatment the first time. Without the patient data that the Nagourney Cancer Institute has compiled over the decades, there isn't much benefit to profiling alone.
Personalized Treatment
Functional Profiling involves testing the patient's cancer cells in a lab, in order to identify the drugs that are most effective in killing the cancer cells. By combining this approach with data from 11,000 patient studies, oncologists can tailor treatment plans to the specific needs of each patient, ensuring that they receive the most effective treatment from the outset.
Personalized cancer medicine may be a buzzword these days, but we've been doing it for more than 20 years.
Improved Outcomes
By identifying the most effective treatment for a patient's cancer, doctors can improve the chances of a successful outcome. This approach can lead to better response rates, longer progression-free survival, and even increased overall survival rates. The Nagourney Cancer Institute's approach can more than double the response rate for many cancers.
Reducing Side Effects
Most cancer treatments can be extremely toxic to the patients. Another benefit of using Functional Profiling combined with patient studies is that it can help provide options with the lowest toxicity to minimize the side effects of treatment.
By identifying the drugs that are most effective at killing cancer cells, doctors can avoid using drugs that are less effective or more toxic, which can reduce the risk of side effects and improve the patient's quality of life during treatment. This also helps the patient survive the treatment itself if they have other core morbidities.
Cost-Effectiveness
By identifying the most effective treatment from the outset, doctors can avoid the need for multiple rounds of treatment, which can be costly for both the patient and the healthcare system. This approach can help to reduce the overall cost of cancer care, while also improving outcomes for patients. The cost of an incorrect treatment can be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, pulling away resources that can be used to treat more patients successfully.
Overall, the combination of assays from Functional Profiling with the Nagourney Cancer Institute's more than 11,000 patient studies has the potential to revolutionize cancer care, by offering personalized treatment plans that are tailored to the unique needs of each patient. By identifying the most effective treatment from the outset, Oncologists can improve patient outcomes, reduce the side effects, and offer a more cost-effective approach to cancer care.