As patients, we often think about cancer based on the organ where the cancer started: breast cancer, for example. But for cancer doctors (oncologists), cancer is much more complex than that. That’s partly because advances in genomics in the last 20 years have allowed researchers and doctors to discover genetic variations in tumors, and there are many, many variations that can occur. In fact, you could say that the genomic “fingerprint” of cancer tumors is unique to each patient, just the way your fingerprints are unique to you.

Using genetics to take a closer look at cancer has helped us have a better understanding of the disease and how to treat it. In order to target these genomic variations, specialized drugs have been developed. A cancer treatment regimen may consist of several drugs specific to the type of cancer you have—and that means not only where it started, but how much it has developed, and what type of genetic variations it has.

Yes. In a study of 85,000 cancer patients, biomarker selection—that is, using information specific to an individual tumor to decide on treatment—was the single most significant piece of information that led to improvements in health.[1] Because of this, it is important that you have a genetic analysis of your tumor as part of your diagnosis. It is also important that this full diagnosis be used in determining your treatment course.

[1] Subbiah V, Kurzrock, R. Challenging standard-of-care paradigms in the precision oncology era. Trends in Cancer. 2018;4(2),101-109.

You may hear these terms being used when discussing personalized medicine with your doctor or in patient support groups. Understanding that your cancer is unique to you will help you better understand the treatment your doctor has prescribed, and also to understand why other patients whose cancer is in the same location as yours are on different treatment regimens.

• Combination therapy is the use of two or more drugs to treat a disease. A cancer treatment regimen may consist of several drugs specifically targeted to the type of cancer you have.
• Immunotherapy is the use of drugs that engage your body’s immune system to recognize and fight cancer cells.
• Gene-based therapy uses genes to treat cancer by giving the cancer cells different genetic instructions.