Lung cancer: Groundbreaking new ‘genomic profiling’ to be offered to 1000 patients
A groundbreaking medical trial, in which individually tested lung cancer patients will get highly personalised treatment plans to avoid unnecessary side effects and procedures, will be offered to 1000 newly diagnosed lung cancer patients.
NSW
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A groundbreaking medical trial will individually test lung cancer patients to create a highly personalised treatment plan and avoid unnecessary side effects and procedures.
The new treatment will be offered to 1000 patients newly diagnosed non-squamous, non-small cell lung cancer through the Australian-first genomics project called “Aspiration”, which will on Thursday receive $5 million from the federal government.
The study will open for enrolment in up to 15 trial sites across the country in July.
Each selected patient will have their particular disease individually tested in a process known as comprehensive genomic profiling.
This information will then be used to identify a the right treatment for the specific patient, at the precise time.
Lung cancer the fifth most commonly diagnosed cancer, with more than 12,800 cases in Australia last year.
It’s the leading cause of cancer deaths, with more than 9,000 Australians killed in 2019 alone.
Artarmon mum Lillian Leigh, 39, was diagnosed non-small cell lung cancer in 2014, despite never having smoked in her life.
Further genetic testing found she had a “very rare” genetic mutation of the disease, which led Ms Leigh to research a Melbourne trial for a specific treatment that would reduce unnecessary side effects.
“I’m feeling hopeful. There is so much research going on that gives patients hope, I’m really grateful for that,” she said.
Health Minister Greg Hunt said targeted therapies that reduce side effects offered “new hope” in the battle against the deadly cancer.
“Precision medicine has the potential to rival penicillin as a real transformation in medical treatment,” he said.
The study is jointly funded through the government’s $20 billion Medical Research Future Fund and by biotech company Roche.