Clinical Trial: Cancer Genome Project

As I mentioned in my last blog post, Mom spent most of the summer on the 2nd chemo treatment. Let's just say - it did not go well. Mom could barely get out of bed, had extreme nausea, and lost all strength. When the time came to find out if the chemo was having any affect on the cancer, Mom had already decided she didn't want to continue on the treatment regardless. Well good or bad, the 2nd chemo treatment didn't have an affect on the cancer - it grew a tiny bit.

Recently, I was talking to a co-worker about my mom's cancer and he shared with me his family's history of cancer and encouraged me to look into and inquire about clinical trials. When mom was originally diagnosed, I had asked about clinical trials but our doctor shared that there were none available at that time. But inspired by my co-worker, I decided to ask again anyway. And at that appointment, our doctor shared that there is a new clinical trial taking place called the Cancer Genome Project. The Cancer Genome Project is possible only because of the Human Genome Project that took place during Bill Clinton's presidency and through his support. It took 13 years for the research to be completed with the results of "the determined sequence of chemical base pairs which make up human DNA, and of identifying and mapping all of the genes of the human genome from both a physical and functional standpoint (wikipedia)." Through time and more research it now only takes a week for a person's genes to be mapped.

So let me put it in simpler terms. Essentially, all genes have a function and in a cancer-free body they work routinely to help you live. But sometimes certain genes get blocked and are not able to be told what they are supposed to do so they just do whatever they want ... they start to mutate and get bigger or go where they are not supposed to go which results in cancer. Typically, treatment for cancer is determined by if you have X cancer, then X treatment has proven as most effective therefore that is the treatment you will receive. But with the Cancer Genome Project, they determine what treatment should be given based on the GENE of the cancer which could be completely different than what they typically prescribe for that type of cancer and may even be an alternative to chemo.

The Simon Cancer Center has only been practicing this for 5 months now and have already treated over 100 patients. Now, not all patients have genes in their cancer cells that match to a particular treatment, so Mom may go through this biopsy and nothing may come of it. But there is at least some hope for a possibility to further extend Mom's life.

Today, Mom has been in for a biopsy to take samples of the cancer cells so that the genes can be mapped. In two weeks time we will return to the Cancer Center to discuss the results and the potential treatments. Hurray we are trying a Clinical Trial!