© 2010 Michiana Hematology Oncology, PC
All Rights Reserved
South Bend, Indiana (March 16, 2009) — March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and patients in northern Indiana have a special reason to celebrate — they’ve helped reach a milestone in the worldwide fight against cancer.
After years of clinical trial research, oncologists have discovered that common mutations in cancer cells can be used to predict the effectiveness of particular treatments. Also called tailored therapy, biomarker testing is the process of testing tumors for mutations that have been proven to respond either well or poorly to certain medications. This new practice enables physicians to be more precise when prescribing treatments.
“Patients in Michiana who participated in clinical trials played an invaluable role in the discovery of biomarker testing,” said Robin Zon, MD, FACP, medical oncologist at Michiana Hematology Oncology and Principal Investigator for the Northern Indiana Cancer Research Consortium. The NICRC recruits about 95% of the patients who participate in clinical trials in northern Indiana. “Clinical trials are the final step of the research process for preventing, detecting or treating cancer. Without clinical trial participants, advances in cancer care, including cure, would not be possible.”
According to Dr. Zon, oncologists have increased research efforts in biomarker testing since the 1990’s, but only in recent years has research yielded groundbreaking advancements in the fight against cancer.
“In the past, colon cancer was generally treated with a ‘one-size-fits-all’ therapy,” continued Dr. Zon. “Now we know that within each type of cancer are biological differences that can be used to differentiate between treatments that will and will not work. The KRAS test is a very recent example of the potential of biomarker testing. This allows for a ‘tailoring’ of therapy to better fit a colon cancer’s biology, and therefore the patient’s outcome.”
KRAS is a mutation that occurs in 30 to 50 percent of all colorectal tumors, according to published research. Oncologists have discovered that the drug Erbitux™, which was approved by the FDA in 2004 to treat metastatic colorectal cancer, is virtually ineffective against tumors that contain the KRAS mutation, but very effective for tumors that do not. The KRAS test is now a standard recommended test for all patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer who are being considered for Erbitux™ therapy.
“It gets much more complicated,” said Dr. Zon, “but the KRAS has significantly changed the treatment paradigm for colon cancer. The same is true for the Her-2-neu test for breast cancer, and potentially, the EGFR test for lung cancer. Patients should consult their oncologist to learn more about the biomarker tests that are appropriate for them.”
According to Dr. Zon, tailoring cancer therapies is leading the fight against cancer, but there is still a lot to learn. Michiana Hematology Oncology and the NICRC are currently screening and enrolling patients in more than 100 different clinical trials each year, many of which are devoted to cancer biomarker research.
“We owe almost everything we’ve learned about cancer to participants in clinical trials,” said Dr. Zon. “And since this is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, it’s a perfect time to thank them.”
Michiana Hematology Oncology, P.C., established in 1968, is the region’s largest oncology group providing medical oncology, radiation oncology, gynecological oncology, and adult hematology services through six regional offices in North-Central Indiana and Southwestern Lower Michigan. For more information, visit www.TheHeartOfCancerCare.com.
Press Contact
Julie Goen
Michiana Hematology Oncology, P.C.
574-204-7776
© 2010 Michiana Hematology Oncology, PC
All Rights Reserved