Cancer Gene Database: Getting You Closer To A Cure?

Eventually we could all access personalised medicines for one of the UK’s biggest killers, say specialists from the Institute of Cancer Research. The organisation has released its plans for a Tumour Profiling Unit that aims to enhance our wellness following a cancer diagnosis, so we live longer and healthier.

Gathering information

Chief executive of the institute professor Alan Ashworth explained how the database will gather information on the genetic code of cancers so clinicians can create and administer the best drugs for specific tumours. At present, scientists understand that some cancers are caused by different triggers in our genes, and gathering more data on this will allow them to better target the type of disease we get. For example, tumours leading to a specific gene change in some breast cancers responds very well to medicine herceptin. This gives us more treatment options if we have breast cancer and are shown to have the gene change. Prof Ashworth would like to see this level of insight rolled out for all cancers and tumours so more treatment plans are available.

‘Early days’

The professor explained that in about three years the wellbeing of more of us will benefit from this information in the database, and it’ll be extended to even more people in ten years’ time. He adds that although the information may not lead to a direct cure to cancer, it will hopefully result in drug treatment programmes that manage the disease long-term. This may reduce the number of us who get terminal cancer, as the targeted medicine will improve our life expectancy so much the disease will be more comparable to a chronic condition. As well as discovering triggers for certain cancers, the data will also shed light on how tumours adapt to become immune to medicine. This proves to be a huge problem for cancer sufferers, as the same disease can return, but drugs become ineffective. Prof Ashworth aims to tackle the condition by increasing awareness of how it develops and changes, meaning those of us who get cancer in the future may still live long and healthy lives.