HALIFAX — Robin McGee has been living with stage four colorectal cancer for 13 years – a remarkable feat given the severity of her condition.
On Wednesday, the 62-year-old Nova Scotian traveled to Halifax, where she and 30 other cancer patients and survivors from nine provinces spoke to researchers about their experiences with what’s called “precision medicine.” This is a rather innovative approach that tailors treatment to each patient, taking into account the genetics of the tumor and the individual’s characteristics.
For Ms. McGee, this approach has changed her life. “My cancer was like a freight train, and precision medicine abruptly applied the brakes,” she said in an interview after participating in a series of discussions organized by the Terry Fox Research Institute’s Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network. “It helped avoid very severe pain and limitations.”
Ms. McGee said she had run out of publicly funded treatment options. She arranged, at her own expense, for her tumor to undergo genomic analysis that would reveal its specific mutations. The results suggested a surprising treatment: a drug typically used to treat other types of cancer.
After purchasing the drug from Bangladesh, she began the treatment in July, with her oncologist’s approval.
“My cancer blood markers dropped, showing that I was responding to the medication,” she said. “If we could make cancer treatment (…) sensitive to individual mutation biomarkers, as in my case, we would save many more lives.”
When the Cancer Centres Network was established in 2019, it brought together for the first time Canada’s leading cancer hospitals and university research centres. This collaboration has been described as “Canada’s Team for Cancer Research.”
Through in-depth studies focused on finding harmful genetic mutations, the network has worked tirelessly to sort out the good from the bad mutations, compiling genetic profile data from patients across Canada.
This type of data sharing was once hindered by provinces’ reluctance to share personal health information beyond their borders. The network now provides a secure data sharing platform.
“We are building the most comprehensive cancer resource in Canada,” said Robin Urquhart, Scientific Director at the Atlantic Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health, which is part of the Cancer Centres Network.
“This includes clinical data and genomic data from patients across the country, which allows us to do many things, such as identifying different markers in the blood that can detect cancer earlier,” explains the Associate Professor in the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia.
Precision medicine “allows for matching each cancer patient with the best possible treatment.”
Professor Urquhart points out that with the meetings in Halifax, this is the first time that network researchers have come together with cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers to discuss the future of precision medicine.
“This group has come together (…) to guide our work,” said Ms. Urquhart. “We want to ensure that our work aligns with what the patients want.”
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2023-11-17 04:49:08
