Cancer is a complex genetic disease. The progression of cancer is a series of genetic events. Molecular pathways involved in tumor survival and progression are often activated by genetic alterations and can evolve over time. Cancer is also an individual disease, as every patient is unique and every tumor is different at the genetic level. By mapping an individual’s genome, we can take much of the trial and error out of current cancer therapeutics and offer a more personalized and precise approach to cancer treatment.

Personalized medicine uses molecular testing and genetic profiling to provide a comprehensive understanding to target a person’s innate predisposition for disease and predict which medical treatment will be safe and effective for the patient. Specific mutations present in a tumor serve as subtle indicators for the effectiveness of specific targeted and immunotherapies. Other concurrent mutations may indicate acquired resistance to certain therapies. A broader genetic profiling of actionable mutations enables clinicians to refine optimal cancer treatment selection.

“Knowledge is Power – Sir Francis Bacon”