Genomic Testing

At Cancer Treatment Centers of America^® (CTCA), we’re working together with companies at the forefront of genomic testing to help guide the selection of treatment options.
 
We use Foundation Medicine's FoundationOne^TM genomic profile tool to help our physicians tailor treatment based on a tumor's molecular subtype.

What Is Genomic Testing and What Does it Mean for Patients?

Genomic testing involves a genomic tumor assessment to examine a tumor genetically and reveal the DNA alterations that are driving the growth of cancer. Our physicians use this information to identify potential treatments that target the unique gene mutations in a specific cancer.

Genomic testing provides an option for our doctors to understand a patient’s cancer at the molecular level, and tailor a treatment plan specifically for you. 

How Does it Work?

Cancers can be categorized by the underlying gene mutations in the DNA that drive cancer growth. As we understand more about these gene mutations, traditional cancer treatments are being replaced by less toxic, more effective therapies that specifically target these changes in a patient’s DNA.

If you and your oncologist decide you are a candidate for this test, we will either use a sample of your cancer tissue already available, or will take a new sample during a biopsy or surgery and send this to Foundation Medicine. The tissue will then be analyzed to determine if there are clinically actionable molecular changes that may guide therapy based on potential available treatment options.

Not all gene mutations can be matched with an existing treatment. Your oncologist will discuss the test results with you and how these results may influence the management of your cancer. Results take approximately three weeks.

Who Is Eligible for Genomic Testing?

The decision to use this diagnostic tool is made jointly by you and your medical team when the right indicators are present. Since genomic testing is a rapidly developing area of medical science, there are no definitive indications for the use of these tests at this time.

Is CTCA Considered a Leader in Providing Genomic Testing for Patients?

While we have been doing genomic testing for several cancers for years (e.g., HER1/2 and BRCA1/2), there have been many recent breakthroughs at research hospitals that have revealed the value of a broader application of genomic tumor assessment. We are quickly ramping up our capability to offer patients this important choice if it is right for them.
 
Additionally, with our Patient Empowered Care^® model, we are taking the results of these tests directly to our patients to help identify the best treatment options, rather than using the data solely for research purposes or to create a database of tumor types.