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Cancer Treatment Centers of America
Precision
cancer treatment

The era of precision cancer treatment is bringing cancer care to the cellular level. As scientists learn more about how cancer forms and grows, new and developing tools of precision medicine have been designed to zero in on the DNA traits that dictate how a tumor grows or evades the immune system.

At Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA), our cancer experts use these state-of-the-art technologies in a quest to identify the forces that drive a particular cancer, to help match those drivers with treatments designed to counteract them. For patients who meet certain criteria, these tools and treatments may offer more targeted approaches for their specific disease.

Watch the video to learn more about precision medicine. *

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Our services

Understanding precision cancer care and the options available often requires navigating new and complex information. Our precision medicine experts, genetic counselors and supportive care clinicians are available to explain what you can expect from a genetics or genomic test, how that information may be used in developing a treatment or prevention plan and whether a clinical trial may be a viable option. Also, as part of our comprehensive approach to cancer treatment, we have a panel of experts, called a molecular tumor board, who meet regularly to share information and ideas on how to treat each patient's disease. These experts collaborate on a treatment plan personalized to fit the patient’s needs, monitoring the patient’s progress throughout treatment and making adjustments when necessary.

Because precision medicine is a rapidly developing area of medical science, advanced genomic tests and innovative treatments like targeted therapy and immunotherapy should be considered after thorough discussions between the physician and patient and based on each patient’s unique situation. 

Advanced
genomic testing

At CTCA®, we use the tools of precision medicine to identify what makes a particular cancer behave the way it does. For some patients, that may include an advanced genomic test, which may uncover mutations that may be matched with targeted treatment options.

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Genetic
testing

Genetic testing may help determine if a patient was born with a higher risk of developing cancer due to an inherited gene mutation. Being diagnosed with a hereditary condition may empower patients to make more informed decisions about how to manage their cancer risks.

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Genetic
counseling

If you know or suspect you have a genetic mutation that may increase your cancer risk, you may consider genetic counseling. Our genetic counselors help educate patients about strategies to help reduce cancer risk and/or increase the chances of catching cancer in its early stages.

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Targeted therapy

Targeted therapy drugs may be recommended to treat certain cancers based on the results of an advanced genomic test. These drugs are designed to seek out features unique to cancer cells and target specific proteins or mutations that may be driving the cancer's growth.

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Immunotherapy

Researchers have developed a series of immunotherapy drugs called checkpoint inhibitors designed to energize the body's immune system to better recognize and attack cancer cells. These drugs are designed to expose cancer cells as invaders, triggering an immune response.

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Supportive care

We offer evidence-informed supportive care therapies, such as nutritional therapy and mind-body medicine, to help patients maintain the strength to get through treatment. We also offer counseling, spiritual support and other therapies to help patients cope with anxiety and stress.

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Our goal is to get the best possible therapy to that individual patient based on all the things we know about them personally, and about the abnormalities of their cancer, after examining the tumor at a molecular level.
Dr. Maurie Markman Dr. Maurie Markman President, Medicine & Science, CTCA

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Our patients

Christine's story

When Christine Bray’s ovarian cancer spread to her liver and lymph nodes, advanced genomic testing results helped our doctors identify a targeted therapy drug to treat her metastatic disease. The treatment has allowed Christine to spend more time with her two daughters. *

Today, with my CTCA care team by my side, I am more hopeful than ever about the road ahead.

No case is typical. You should not expect to experience these results.


Stephen's story

After a stem cell transplant failed to stop the progression of Stephen Hook’s Hodgkin lymphoma, doctors recommended immunotherapy to treat the disease. After a checkpoint inhibitor drug that marshals the body's immune system was used to fight his cancer, Stephen says his life is getting back to normal.

The support I have experienced from my doctors and so many other people at CTCA is incredible.

No case is typical. You should not expect to experience these results.


Targeted therapy Infographic:
Targeted therapy
Precision medicine Infographic:
Precision medicine
Immunotherapy Infographic:
Immunotherapy

Clinical trials

CTCA is committed to bringing our patients innovative cancer treatment options. Our clinical trials explore treatment options that may lead to tomorrow’s medicine and offer patients treatments that may not otherwise be available to them. These studies are an essential testing ground for measuring the safety, effectiveness and potential side effects of drugs and other treatments before they can be granted government approval.

One of these clinical trials is the Targeted Agent and Profiling Utilization Registry (TAPUR) study. Led by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and offered at all five CTCA hospitals, the study aims to improve our understanding of how commercially available anti-cancer drugs perform on a broader range of cancers, by matching the drugs to tumors with specific genomic mutations that the drugs are designed to target. This study, like other clinical trials, is not available to or appropriate for all patients. Your care team will work with you to determine whether you are a candidate for TAPUR or one of our other ongoing clinical trials.

Learn more about the TAPUR study
Learn more about clinical trials at CTCA

Clinical Trials Q & A

Who may benefit from breast cancer clinical trials?

The answer is based on a case-by-case analysis of each breast cancer patient’s situation. This is a time of rapid scientific advances in breast cancer treatment. New surgical techniques are being developed with a goal of attacking tumors while reducing the amount of trauma to healthy breast and other tissue. Meanwhile, a new generation of breast cancer therapies is designed to attack tumors that have specific genomic mutations, such as too much HER2, mTOR, CDK4 and CDK6. These new targeted treatments may be more effective and cause fewer side effects than traditional chemotherapy. But they are so specialized that only a limited subset of patients qualifies for participation. Genomic tumor testing may determine whether you are a candidate. Other factors—such as your cancer type and stage, how you have responded to past treatments and other individual considerations—may also determine whether you qualify for specific breast cancer trials.

Are they only available to breast cancer patients who have exhausted other treatment options?

Breast cancer patients may qualify to participate in a clinical trial at any stage of their treatment journey. Some patients may join a clinical trial when they first start treatment, in conjunction with standard therapy for breast cancer, on the chance it may offer improved outcomes. Other trials are designed for patients who have not responded adequately to conventional treatments. Your oncologist will discuss the options and risks, and explain the various protocols involved.

How does CTCA select the breast cancer trials it offers?

At CTCA, our cancer experts never stop searching for innovative ways to treat cancer. Offering carefully selected breast cancer clinical trials helps us fulfill that mission. The new generation of precision drugs is generally designed to deliver more targeted, less toxic therapies. Our Breast Cancer Center oncologists decide to participate as a clinical trial site only after careful consideration of the relative benefit to patients.

How do I find out whether a specific breast cancer clinical trial may benefit me?

Your oncologist and Breast Cancer Center care team may recommend a trial depending on your individual needs and treatment goals. Learn more about ongoing clinical trials at CTCA. For general questions, email the clinical trials team at clinicaltrials@ctca-hope.com or contact an Oncology Information Specialist at 888-841-9129.

Call (844) 372-5785 or chat now to learn more about precision medicine.

* FoundationOne®, FoundationOne®Heme, and FoundationOne CDx™ are diagnostic tests to identify genomic mutations associated with your cancer. This information, along with other information, may be used by your physician to identify potential treatment options. But these diagnostic tests do not confer any therapeutic benefit. The tests might not identify therapies that could be of benefit to you and you might not have positive outcomes with therapies identified through these tests. The outcomes described in this video are not typical and you should not expect to experience similar results. Consult your doctor about whether diagnostic testing is appropriate for you. Treatment decisions are the responsibility of your physician. These tests are available by prescription only.

FoundationOne CDx™ is a next-generation sequencing based in vitro diagnostic device for detection of substitutions, insertion and deletion alterations, and copy number alterations in 324 genes and select gene rearrangements, as well as genomic signatures including microsatellite instability (MSI) and tumor mutational burden (TMB) using DNA isolated from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor tissue specimens. For the complete intended use statement, including companion diagnostic indications and warnings and limitations, please see the FoundationOne CDx Technical Information, www.foundationmedicine.com/f1cdx.
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