ONS Connect - October 2008 - (Page 13)

Jameson says her team’s study findings may result in “a huge paradigm shift in treatment.” of patients’ tumors to find potential targets—genetic mutations—and select treatments for their refractory cancers.” The Bisgrove study, as the pilot study is called, uses traditional methods such as immunohistochemistry and fluorescent in situ hybridization combined with DNA microarray analysis. “Scientists have identified over 22,000 genes that may over- or underexpress themselves in tumor samples. We’ve focused on mutations in 98 particular genes to date,” Jameson says. She uses an example of the case of a woman with refractory breast can- cer who presents with a new chest wall lesion. “We biopsy the tumor and note c-kit overexpression. A targeted therapy option would include imatinib, which is approved for chronic myelogenous leukemia. Treating the molecular abnormality of the tumor cell rather than a diagnosis such as breast cancer could result in a huge paradigm shift in cancer treatment.” Jameson says that more than 70 patients have been treated during the trial, which is being conducted at eight U.S. sites. Investigators are currently reviewing the initial study data. This is the first step in the process, and the data may point them in another direction. “We plan to treat another 70-plus patients and are anxiously awaiting the conclusions.” Cancer Genetics and Nursing So, how does the study of genomic information relate to what we already know about clinical genetics? As Cathleen Goetsch, MSN, ARNP, AOCNP®, an ONS member and hereditary cancer risk consultant at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle, WA, explains, “When evaluating a patient for an inherited risk of a disease, we are searching for a single mutated gene. OctOber 2008 ONS CONNECT 13

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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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