ONS Connect - October 2008 - (Page 12)

Technology Provides Data on Tumor Cells The Cell Search™ (Veridex, LLC) system is an advanced diagnostic platform used for cancer that offers real-time tumor biology information through direct assessment of circulating tumor cells (CTCs). Through a combination of high accuracy, specificity, and reproducibility with state-of-the-art automation, the Cell Search system standardizes sample collection, cell capture, staining, enumeration, and characterization of CTCs. The detection of CTCs in the blood can provide healthcare professionals with insight into the progression of some cancers. It is a simple blood test that captures, identifies, and counts CTCs in a tube of blood to help predict a patient’s prognosis. The test can be done in the outpatient setting and can be performed at the start of therapy or any time during the course of treatment. The CTC test is approved for use in metastatic breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers. For more information about Cell Search, visit www.veridex .com or call +1-877-VERIDEX. Cathleen Goetsch, MSN, ARNP, AOCNP®, says that genomics gives providers a better sense of patients’ response to treatment and possible side effects. Many potential applications of genomic knowledge are becoming reality, such as the study of pharmacogenomics to identify how well (or not) a particular patient may metabolize a drug. An example relates to the UGT1A1 gene, where data suggest that patients who possess the UGT1A1*28 variant of the gene are at a higher risk of moderate to severe delayed diarrhea when they are treated with irinotecan (de Jong et al., 2006). The authors of the study recommend screening for this polymorphism prior to administering therapy to decrease the risk of toxicity. As additional SNPs related to potential toxicity are discovered, more proactive toxicity risk assessment may be possible to tailor treatment regimens and provide the most effective yet tolerable agents. molecular profiling ONS member Gayle Jameson, MSN, ACNP-BC, AOCN®, is a nurse practitioner and associate investigator/director of supportive care at TGen Clinical Research Services at Scottsdale Healthcare in Arizona. She describes a study under way that represents “personalized medicine in its purest form. We are conducting the first prospective trial utilizing molecular profiling 12 ONS CONNECT OctOber 2008 http://www.veridex.com http://www.veridex.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of ONS Connect - October 2008

ONS Connect- October 2008 Contents Editor's Note Just In Up Front You Tell Us Up Close &�Professional Web Connect Five-Minute In-Service Capitol Connection Caregiver Care Straight Talk New Treatments, New Hope Working for You Calendar of Events Staying on Top

ONS Connect - October 2008

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