CLEVELAND, Ohio (Ivanhoe Newswire) – Right now, there are more than 378,000 clinical trials listed on the website clinicaltrials.gov. Millions of people look through the list each month to see if there is a new treatment, technology or procedure that can help them or their loved one.
But how do you know which one is the right one for you? New technology is using genetic testing to make the perfect match.
Andy Simon is a proud cancer survivor, ribbon wearing man. Andy was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme, one of the deadliest forms of brain cancer.
“He doesn’t have long. That was my first thought,” explained Amy Simon, Andy’s wife.
But after surgery and taking part in a novel clinical trial, five years out, there’s no re-occurrence of Andy’s cancer.
“There was no doubt in my mind that the clinical trial helped him,” continued Amy.
But, there are more than 1,600 clinical trials happening right now for glioblastoma patients.
“It’s not so much about rushing the treatment but rushing to the right treatment,” shared Joel Saltzman, MD, a medical oncologist at University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center in Cleveland, Ohio.
New technology called genomoncology precision decision works like a match maker, taking the genetic sequencing of the patient and running it through a database.
“We can look at numerous genes that predict what might respond to therapies. Rather than telling them about the standard treatment, I actually know walking in the door that, hey, we have this great study,” said Dr. Saltzman.
Andy and his wife believe his clinical trial saved his life.
“I believe in my heart that, all of that, he went through is the reason that he’s here today,” Amy stated.
To celebrate his last treatment Andy put on a cape to proudly show his superman status.
“My famous line is now set to kick its ass. And we’ve been doing it since, as a team,” exclaimed Andy.
And they’ll continue to kick cancer together.
Experts believe the genomoncology precision decision will also help to increase the clinical trial success rates by matching the right patients with the right therapies. The match maker works on all types of cancers.