By Scott Merville and Laura Sussman, MD Anderson Staff Writers
Customized treatment that matches specialized cancer drugs to their targets on each patient's tumor has been found to increase survival of people with late-stage disease in a Phase I clinical trial at MD Anderson.
Researchers presented results today at the annual meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology in Chicago. ASCO also chose to highlight this project to the news media from among thousands submitted to the meeting.
Patients who enroll in Phase I clinical trials have no regular treatment options left and have advanced disease that has spread to other organs or can't be surgically removed.
How this research was done
In this trial, patients' tumors were analyzed for genetic flaws and when there were drugs available to attack that defect, patients received those drugs rather than those thought to target their type of cancer, such as breast or lung. Patients with just about every type of solid tumor -- lung, breast, colorectal, prostate, brain, pancreas, liver, kidney, melanoma, thyroid and many others -- participated.
Customized treatment that matches specialized cancer drugs to their targets on each patient's tumor has been found to increase survival of people with late-stage disease in a Phase I clinical trial at MD Anderson.
Researchers presented results today at the annual meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology in Chicago. ASCO also chose to highlight this project to the news media from among thousands submitted to the meeting.
Patients who enroll in Phase I clinical trials have no regular treatment options left and have advanced disease that has spread to other organs or can't be surgically removed.
How this research was done
In this trial, patients' tumors were analyzed for genetic flaws and when there were drugs available to attack that defect, patients received those drugs rather than those thought to target their type of cancer, such as breast or lung. Patients with just about every type of solid tumor -- lung, breast, colorectal, prostate, brain, pancreas, liver, kidney, melanoma, thyroid and many others -- participated.
