HALIFAX — Robin McGee has been living with stage four colorectal cancer for 13 years – a remarkable achievement considering 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 known as “precision medicine”. This is a rather innovative approach that tailors treatment to each patient, taking into account the tumor’s genetics and the individual’s characteristics.
For Ms. McGee, this approach has changed her life. “My cancer was like a freight train, and precision medicine suddenly applied the brakes,” she said in an interview after participating in a series of discussions organized by the Terry Fox Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network. “It prevented very severe pain and limitations.”
Ms. McGee said she had run out of treatment options covered by health insurance. 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 generally used to treat other types of cancer.
After buying the medication in Bangladesh, she started the treatment in July, with the approval of her oncologist.
“My cancer blood markers dropped, showing that I was responding to the drug,” she said. “If we could make cancer treatment (…) sensitive to individual mutation biomarkers, like in my case, we would save many more lives.”
When the Cancer Centres Network was established in 2019, it brought together Canada’s leading cancer hospitals and university research centers for the first time. This coalition was described as “Team Canada for cancer research”.
Through in-depth studies focused on the search for harmful genetic mutations, the network worked diligently to sort out the good and bad mutations, compiling genetic profile data from patients across Canada.
This type of data sharing was once hindered by provinces’ reluctance to transmit personal health information beyond their borders. The network now offers 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 a lot of things, like identifying different markers in the blood that can detect cancer earlier,” said 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 emphasizes that with the meetings in Halifax, it is the first time that network researchers have gathered with cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers to discuss the future of precision medicine.
“This group came together (…) to guide our work,” said Ms. Urquhart. “We want to ensure that our work aligns with what patients want.”
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2023-11-17 03:47:57
