2014 Annual Retreat on Cancer Research In NJ: Public Forum Personalized Cancer Therapy

For the past few years, I have attended Public Forums that are part of the Annual Retreat on Cancer Research in NJ. Today's forum on Personalized Cancer Therapy held a special interest for me.

I have always wondered how my cancer was different from other women who were diagnosed with Stage 3 serous papillary epithelial ovarian cancer (high grade). Why did my tumors respond so well to chemotherapy treatments? Why was I able to go into remission for a second time for a longer period of time than my first remission?  Well, there are researchers in NJ who are asking the same questions. They are looking beyond the organ and histology but looking at the genetics of tumors. 

You may recall that last year I was asked to participate in a clincial trial in which tumor tissue from my initial diagnosis and my recurrence well as my blood would undergo genetic sequencing.  I learned a bit more about that process today at the public forum. 

Dr. Shrindar Ganesan, Rutgers Cancer Institute of NJ ( RCINJ),  and the lead investigator of the trial I participated, in welcomed everyone to the forum. He explained that genome sequencing is generating a large amount of information and what must now be done is to transfer that into useful knowledge for patients. He also said that each patient has a unique response to treatment be it chemotherapy, immunotherapy or targeted therapy. He then went on to introduce each of the other speakers. 

Dr. Kim Hirshfield ( RCINJ ) began "Next-Generation Sequencing for Every Generation:Everything you Need to Know but Didn't Know to Ask"  by telling us that "one size fits all" in cancer treatment does not work due to differences in individuals and tumors. She went on to explain about chromosomes, genes and how proteins are involved in the growth, proliferation , death and movement of cells. She described oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes and how they can cause cancer. There are also different type of mutations: germline mutations which are mutations you are born with and  somatic mutations those which are acquired later in life. 

Dr Hirshfield then went on to describe the Precision Medicine Initiative in which researchers are trying to understand the biology and mutations of tumor cells in order to offer patients the best treatment. Tumor samples are evaluated for 236 genes. The data from the evaluation is presented to a Molecular Tumor Board which helps determine the treatment. So far 100 patients have taken part in the Initiative. Twenty percent have been prescribed treatment based on their evaluation, another 20 percent have treatment plants but have not yet been prescribed the treatment due to the fact that they are stable or are in remission at this time. For the remainder of the patients some are no longer participating in the study for various reasons and for some there are no current drugs or trial drugs available for their specific mutations. In the 100 patient tumor samples tested there was an average of 3.6 mutations. 

Hetal Vig, a genetic counselor at RCINJ, presented "Capturing the Spectrum of Hereditary Cancers:A Moving Target in the Setting of Targeted Therapy.  She spoke about family pedigrees and germline mutations. Women with BRCA1 mutation have a 60% risk of developing ovarian cancer while those with the BRCA2 mutation have a 25% risk of developing ovarian cancer. She then went on to mention Li-Fraumeni Syndrome ( I had not heard about this syndrome before and will have to look into it further.) This syndrome is linked to the p53 mutation. Hetal also said that all cancers are genetic but not all cancer is hereditary.  

Although the last speaker, Dr Janice Mehnert (RCINJ), spoke mainly about melanoma I found her presentation very exciting because of the progress that has made in less than 10 years in Melanoma treatments. In 2006 there was no good treatment for melanoma. Then they found that they could target the BRAF and MEK genes with some success (Vemurafenib). There has also been success with immunotherapy by targeting the PD1 and PDL1 genes. It may be possible to use targeted therapy and immunotherapy together but clinical trials are needed since more targets may translate into the treatment being more toxic to the patient.  Dr Mehnert then said that "Your tumor is your life" and the focus should be on the understanding each patients tumor. 

During the question and answer period I learned that:

The more suppressed the immune system the more cancer.

When using immunotherapy there may be an increase in tumor size due to inflammation but if the therapy is effective subsequent shrinkage will  occur. 

The researchers agreed that more advocates are needed to raise awareness of the importance of participation in clinical trials.  

I am so pleased to see such important research being done right here in NJ. I also urge my readers to consider participation in a clinical trial. It is through clinical trials that the knowledge we need to better understand how to target our individual cancers can be found. 

Dee

Ever Day is a Blessing!