Precision medicine brings new hope for cancer patients
Published: 10 Aug 2018
Precision medicine in cancer treatment allows doctors to deliver the best treatment for patients based on genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors. Cancer patients who suffered relapses despite undergoing treatments may find hope in a programme that matches them to suitable clinical trials of new drugs.
The programme started after a pilot study with promising results. 300 out of the 396 patients involved in the study have a treatable tumour mutation. Out of this 300 patients, 23 were matched to clinical trials. Of which, three of these patients had tumours that shrunk by more than a third and another six patients’ cancers stabilised for more than two months.
Led by Dr David Tan from NUS Medicine’s Department of Medicine and consultant at National University Cancer Institute, Singapore’ (NCIS) Department of Haematology-Oncology, the programme has seen more than 200 local and foreign patients signing up. Dr Tan said that the programme gives patients access to drugs which are not in the market yet, and provides them with targeted treatment.
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