#cancersuccess

What does ‘optimizing chemotherapy’ mean, and how can it benefit cancer patients?

In this article from 2011, CTOAM’s Director of Scientific Research, Alex Rolland, explores the science behind optimizing chemotherapy using an example of treating Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML).

Optimizing Chemotherapy article: https://www.ctoam.com/…/educationa…/optimizing-chemotherapy/

Importantly, in June 2017, the drug discussed in this article was given FDA priority review.

http://www.onclive.com/…/fda-grants-priority-review-to-cpx3…

Read on to learn how genetic subtypes and molecular signatures impact the disease and why optimizing chemo can be so effective for certain types of cancer.

Leave any questions in the comments and we'll do our best to answer them!

CTOAM: Changing the face of cancer care, one person at a time.

+1 (778) 999-5463 | [email protected]

Circulating tumour DNA-based liquid biopsies (ctDNA) have been a major advancement in cancer diagnostics and monitoring. Unfortunately, this life-saving technology is not applicable to brain tumours. This is because the brain has something called a blood brain barrier that appears to inhibit the tumour DNA from reaching the circulatory system.

Read more about liquid biopsies (ctDNA): https://www.ctoam.com/services/testing/genetic-testing/how-it-works/liquid-biopsies/

One of the approaches for brain tumours has, instead, been to look at spinal cerebral fluid for data on the tumour. However, this is very invasive and, therefore, not something that can be done regularly. Currently, clinicians rely on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to gauge how tumours are growing. This is unreliable, though, since an MRI can miss very small changes in tumour size.

Fortunately, a less invasive and more effective approach for testing brain tumours has recently emerged. The following study demonstrates the efficacy of this approach involved children with DIPG.

Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) is a dangerous type of brain tumour that affects children. Importantly, children with DIPG that have diffuse midline histone 3 K27M mutant (H3K27M) glioma face a poor prognosis: the median survival time is only nine months, after the pediatric brainstem cancer is diagnosed.

In this study, scientists detected H3K27M in about 80% of cerebrospinal fluid and plasma samples in children with DIPG. Importantly, after the children underwent radiotherapy, there was a dramatic decrease in circulating tumour DNA for 80 % whose temporal blood was analyzed. You can read more on the study here: https://childrensnational.org/news-and-events/childrens-newsroom/2017/liquid-biopsy-spots-aggressive-pediatric-brainstem-cancer

This is a major advancement in both liquid biopsy diagnostics and in the treatment of the aggressive form of pediatric cancer. It should bring hope to many families searching for solutions.

If you’d like to learn how liquid biopsies can help to determine your best treatment options, as well as provide accurate, non-invasive treatment monitoring, call or email CTOAM today. We offer free consultations to anyone wanting to discover how precision oncology can benefit them or someone they know.

 Call: +1 (778) 999-5463

Email: [email protected]

Glioblastoma is a ruthless form cancer. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean you are out of options – if you've been diagnosed with glioblastoma, please contact us today to learn what your best choices are.

We offer free consultations to cancer patients so they can speak to an oncogenomics expert and get the information they need to feel confident with their treatment choices.

Between comprehensive genetic testing, advanced diagnostics, new targeted therapies, optimized chemotherapy, and advanced surgical tools emerging literally every day, there’s always hope. Hang on to that.

Here’s further evidence demonstrating the benefits of genetic testing and immunotherapy for cancer treatment: www.directorsblog.nih.gov/…/precision-oncology-gene-changes…

CTOAM has been using immunotherapy to help cancer patients for about five years now. Take a look at these patient success stories to see how genetic testing and immunotherapy work in practice:

https://www.ctoam.com/success-stories/patient-success-stories/julio/

https://www.ctoam.com/success-stories/patient-success-stories/lisa/

https://www.ctoam.com/success-stories/patient-success-stories/damian/

Learn more about genetic testing here: https://www.ctoam.com/services/testing/genetic-testing/

Contact CTOAM to learn how you can get the most medically advanced tests and treatments – for as close to free, and as close to home, as possible.

Get your FREE consultation, today!

[email protected]

+1 (778) 999-5463

One of the biggest problems in treating cancer patients with chemotherapy drugs is figuring out how to get the drug into the cancer cells without it a) affecting the normal cells, and b) concentrating in the required dosage.

This is particularly problematic in patients with recurrent high-grade gliomas, a deadly form of brain cancer.

Fortunately, an exciting new approach to this challenge has recently emerged! Here’s how it works, in a nutshell:

1. First, a patient is injected with Toca 511 – a replicating virus that selectively infects actively dividing tumour cells.

2. Once inside the cancer cell, the virus delivers a gene for an enzyme, called cytosine deaminase. This enzyme removes the methyl group from a cytosine amino acid molecule. As the virus replicates and spreads to other cancer cells, it programs them to make cytosine deaminase.

3. Next, the patient receives a tablet, called Toca FC – a type of drug known as a ‘pro-drug’. You can think of pro-drugs as normal drugs with a locking mechanism on them: until the lock has been removed, the drug remains inactive. The benefit of this is that the activity of the drug can be controlled until the drug is at its final destination (aka the tumour cell) – thus preventing the drug from damaging other cells and molecules along the way. For this reason, a pro-drug can be given at a much higher dosage than the non-pro-drug version.

4. Once inside the cancer cells, the cytosine deaminase from the virus removes the methyl group from the cytosine ‘lock’ on the Toca FC. This activates the Toca FC and releases the anti-cancer drug 5-FU, which kills the cancer cell.

A recent study has demonstrated this approach to be effective against recurrent brain cancer. In the study, which involved patients with recurrent gliomas, 22% of patients experienced a durable complete response with a median of at least 35.7 months. See the study here: http://www.ascopost.com/News/58198

Additionally, there were another 22% of patients who achieved stable disease, bringing the number of patients who derived clinical benefit from Toca 511 to 44%. This is an amazing result in what has often been a deadly diagnosis.

Clark Chen, Head of the of Minnesota Medical School Department of Neurosurgery, summarizes the importance of this study: “Given the deadly nature of this disease, 3-year survival is rarely reported in the recurrent setting. It is notable that the survival benefit was seen across a range of patients, and not just limited to patients with specific genetic mutations. This finding indicates that many patients could benefit from this treatment.”

If you’d like to learn more about gene therapy, please contact us anytime to speak with oncogenomics expert Alex Rolland, CTOAM’s Director of Scientific Research. You can also book a free 20 minute consultation to discuss your case in more detail and discover how to access leading edge diagnostics and treatment.

With cancer, there is almost always something more you can do – even if you’ve been told by standard care that you’re out of options. Call or email today to ensure you’re aware of all your options!

Cancer Treatment Options & Management

Changing the face of cancer care, one person at a time.

Phone: +1 (778) 999-5463