Cancer treatment is changing for the better and the application of precision medicine deserves some of the credit.
Lincoln Nadauld, MD, director of Cancer Genomics at Intermountain Healthcare in Utah, said healthcare is facing a “tremendous paradigm shift. The clinical implementation of precision cancer medicine is rapidly changing the way that advanced cancer patients are treated, and improving outcomes in many cases.”
Intermountain Precision Genomics, a service of Intermountain Healthcare, offers genetic sequencing of solid tumors with in-depth sequencing that identifies individual mutations within a person’s cancer cells and identifies specific DNA targets for personalized drugs. Using genomics, Intermountain has been able to identify different treatment options for nearly 80 percent of its cancer patients, Nadauld said. Intermountain offers the genomic testing to any provider nationwide, or worldwide.
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The precision cancer medication — in pill form — offered by Intermountain does not have the same negative side effects that cancer treatments in the past have had, Nadauld added, and patients can take the medication in the comfort of their own homes.
Nadauld will share insights during a HIMSS16 session “Precision Medicine: The future is Here.”
All of this progress does not come without some challenges, though, some of which include IT infrastructure demands, electronic health record integration and data storage considerations, Nadauld said.
“While the improved treatment options associated with precision medicine approaches are exciting, the impact on information technologies is substantial and will require ongoing attention,” Nadauld said.
Despite the challenges, Nadauld said he is excited about the progress of precision medicine, especially for cancer patients.
“The past five years have seen an increasing focus and attention on precision medicine in scientific publications, popular press, and even State of the Union addresses,” he added. “While much of the conversation has centered on the promise of precision medicine, there have been few examples of actual clinical application of precision medicine principles.”
“Precision Medicine: The future is Here,” is scheduled for Feb. 29, 2016 from 2-3 p.m. PST in the Sands Expo Convention Center Delfino 4004.
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