Dear Subscriber,
 This has been quite an exciting summer for Rational Therapeutics. In June, we attended the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting in Chicago to present the findings of our " Phase II Trial of Personalized Chemotherapy In Stage IV NSCLC: Clinical Application of Functional Profiling in First-Line Therapy." The results were compelling and very well received. The trial followed 29 patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer whose first line therapy was based on the results of their "functional profile" assay. Within the group, we achieved a response rate of 62 percent - twofold higher than the national average. More striking was the 50 percent improvement of median time to progression (9.5 months vs. 6 months). And most exciting of all, the excellent survival data with a median overall survival of 22.3 months compared with the national average of 12 months. Learn more about this trial. July brought another interesting breakthrough for the field of cancer testing, when the National Cancer Institute (NCI) suspended two lung cancer and one breast cancer clinical trials designed to apply gene profiling to select treatments for patients. While much attention has been given to the genomics field, the NCI has determined that - at this time - treatment selection results cannot be duplicated and the genomic methodology is not ready for clinical application. Functional profiling remains the most validated technique for selecting effective therapies for cancer patients. Read more about the NCI report.As we look toward the end of the year, we are optimistic for the future of cancer testing and patient outcomes. Please keep abreast of the breakthroughs and case studies coming out of the lab by following my blog: robertanagourney.wordpress.com.
Sincerely,  Dr. Robert Nagourney Rational Therapeutics |
The Random House Dictionary of the English Language defines hope as: 1. The feeling that what is wanted can be had, or that events will turn out for the best. 2. A person or thing in which expectations are centered. |
Cancer is Not Contagious -
But Laughter is!
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 Join the Vanguard Cancer Foundation for a night of fun and laughter to raise money for a great cause! Steven's Steak and Seafood House is hosting a comedy night with great food and entertainment. Proceeds will support the Foundation and the work of Dr. Robert Nagourney.
With special guests
John Stamos and Dave Coulier.
Steven's owner, Viginia Filipan is a lung cancer survivor and grateful patient of Dr. Nagourney. She is
gracious enough to open her restaurant for this fantastic event.
Saturday, October 23, 20106:00 - 10:30 p.m.at Steven's Steak and Seafood House5332 E. Steven's Place, Commerce, CA
Tickets are $75 each
VIP Table of 10 are $1500
(includes front row seating and a bottle of Dom Perignon)
REGISTER TODAY! |
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Genetic Testing
| The National Cancer Institute's suspension of clinical trails using genomic platforms to select therapies for patients raises the question: What is the fundamental difference between functional profiling and gene tests when it comes to determining treatments plans?
Genomic analyses examine a patient's DNA to identify the presence or absence of mutations (and amplifications). The presence of a mutation, however, does not clearly determine whether a patient will respond to a drug. With the exception of a very small number of gene changes that directly predict outcome (EGFr, EML4-ALK), these tests have not proven useful in clinical therapeutics.
On the other hand, functional profiling reveals the actual behavior of cancer cells following exposure to drugs, combinations and targeted therapies. To date, functional profiling has proven significantly more predictive than gene testing.
Humans are much more complex than the sum of their genes. Lifelong exposures to sun, alcohol, cigarettes, pollutants, foods, etc can play a huge role in the development and responsiveness of an individual's disease. A gene test is simply incapable of capturing the complexities associated with human tumor biology. By maintaining cells in clusters (microspheroids), functional profiling examines the cancer in its native state, maintaining crucial interactions.
Examining a patient's DNA can give physicians a lot of information. But, as the NCI has concluded, it cannot determine treatment plans for patients. For truly personalized care - patients can rely on functional profiling at Rational Therapeutics.
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Angie Olson, RN, takes her role seriously too. As an oncology nurse, she knows it's her job to make patients feel better. As a cancer survivor, Angie shares her first-hand account of the hope she received at Rational Therapeutics. 