VALUE PROPOSITIONS Precision Diagnostics Currently the True Value of Personalized Medicine According to Genome Health Solutions cofounder Mark S. Boguski, MD, PhD, FCAP, Harvard Medical School’s Center for Biomedical Informatics and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, at this point in time, the promise of genomics lies “not so much in therapeutics or disease prevention, but in precision diagnostics that will really enable personalized medicine.” Dr Boguski and his cofounder Richard Kellner have set the goal for their new company to provide genomic-related management services and technological/biological know-how to the healthcare industry, with the intent “to finally bring the benefits of genomics to patients.” The center’s mission is “to accelerate the translation of genome science and technologies into cost-effective health services.” The center will focus on cancer as the key to the science of personalized medicine. Dr Boguski, who had participated in the Human Genome Project, suggests that genomic medicine is now “in the third wave, which is that precision diagnostics will lead to better outcomes. If we can understand in any given tumor which genes are the driver mutations—not just on average for a population, but in that individual patient—we can use advanced multiplex technologies to get that information. That opens up the possibility for more targeted therapy, which you expect would be more effective.” Insight & Intelligence; July 3, 2012
New Biomarker a Promising Development in Ewing’s Sarcoma A team of researchers from the University of Colorado led by Tyler Robin, PhD, Department of OB/GYN, Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, has discovered a new biomarker in Ewing’s sarcoma that explains the lack of disease response to current chemotherapy in some patients with this cancer, who until now have had a very poor prognosis. The identification of EYA3 protein as a novel biomarker—a mediator of chemoresistance—in Ewing’s sarcoma explains the mechanism of EYA3 overexpression as the culprit in the resistance to chemotherapy in this disease. This discovery will be used to direct therapy, by identifying patients with elevated EYA3 levels to either reduce the protein levels directly or to intervene in the EYA3 overproduction process. “First, levels of EYA3 could be a tool in offering accurate prognosis and choosing how aggressively to treat Ewing’s sarcoma, and, second, we hope that by lowering levels of EYA3, we could help increase the effectiveness of existing therapies for Ewing’s sarcoma,” Dr Robin noted. Furthermore, this new understanding will likely lead to the development of new therapies, according to coinvestigator Heide Ford, PhD. “Our next step is to test small-molecule inhibitors against EYA3 to determine which inhibitors best sensitize Ewing’s sarcomas to chemotherapy,” she said. Colorado Cancer Blogs; June 29, 2012
World’s First Pediatric Lymphoma Research Center Launched Texas Children’s Cancer Center has opened the first center dedicated entirely to the research, care, and treatment of children with lymphoma. The Fayez Sarofim Lymphoma Center at Texas Children’s Cancer Center was made possible by a gift of $10 million to Texas Children’s Hospital. Lymphomas are the third most common cancers in childhood; chemotherapy is still the mainstay of lymphoma therapies, and it is sometimes supplemented by radiation. Despite much progress in this area, many patients with lymphoma do not respond to initial treatment, and a significant proportion of patients whose disease responds to available therapies will eventually develop drug resistance, requiring new therapies. The Fayez Sarofim Lymphoma Center will focus on researching the biology of lymphomas to develop new approaches to therapy, including
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new diagnostic methods and targeted therapies. The Texas Children’s Cancer Center has a translational research infrastructure already in place, focusing on rapid translation of laboratory and clinical research into clinical studies. “Our researchers have already developed effective cell-based therapies that have demonstrated extremely exciting clinical results, and we are also evaluating new chemotherapeutic agents with significant clinical promise,” said Catherine Bollard, MD, Director of the Fayez Sarofim Lymphoma Center. Potential advances made at the center will be shared with pediatric oncologists around the world. Kenneth McClain, MD, Clinical Director of the new center, addressed the potential clinical benefits of the new endeavor, noting that this financial gift “will help expand the number of innovative therapies that will be available to treat our young patients. Our ultimate goal is to find a cure for all children with lymphoma.” Texas Children’s Hospital press release; June 26, 2012
First US Hospital Integrates Psychosocial Support Services in Its Cancer Center Greenville Hospital System (GHS) has launched the Center for Integrative Oncology and Survivorship, which offers emotional services for cancer survivors developed by Cancer Support Community (CSC), an international provider of cancer-related social and emotional services. “Research shows that social and emotional support is as important as medical care in the fact of a cancer diagnosis,” said Larry Gluck, MD, Medical Director, GHS Cancer Center, SC. “Cancer Support Community is a leader in psychosocial oncology, and we are pleased to integrate its evidence-based programs and services into our cancer care delivery model.” This is the first US hospital to offer CSC’s services within the hospital setting itself, including distress screening program, personalized assessment and care plan, support groups, health and wellness programs, and educational programs. The cost for these services runs between $60,000 and $100,000; however, GHS will provide them for free, thanks to funding from the Palmetto Peloton Project. Greenville Hospital Services; June 26, 2012
Researchers Highlight Benefits of Exercise for Patients with Cancer Several researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center have been studying the effects of exercise on patients with cancer for some time now. “In 15 years, we have gone from being afraid to recommend exercise to people with cancer to having enough data that show, by and large, that it is safe and effective, particularly for relief of treatment side effects,” suggests Karen Mustian, PhD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology, University of Rochester Medical Center, NY. Lisa K. Sprod, PhD, with the James P. Wilot Cancer Center at the University of Rochester Medical Center, analyzed a national sample of nearly 14,900 people. She found that patients with cancer or cancer survivors are less physically active than people without cancer, a reality that has been linked to increased risk for cancer recurrence and reduced survival in this patient population. Dr Sprod notes that it is not clear whether cancer treatment contributes to such reduced physical activity or whether patients with cancer and their physicians are concerned with safety issues for these patients. Yet a third researcher at the university, Luke J. Peppone, PhD, has shown that women with breast cancer who participated in a weekly yoga program and were taking aromatase inhibitors reported reduced medication side effects, including less pain, reduced muscle aches, and less overall physical discomfort. These new data reinforce the value of exercise for overall well-being and improved quality of life for patients with cancer. University of Rochester Medical Center newsroom; May 30, 2012
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