Great Article on Patient-Driven Genomics

A recent BioWorld article examines the growing trend of patient-driven genomics in cancer. Patients can now pay to have their own genomic data sequenced, but as the article explains, the real challenge comes after sequencing: "The problem is not the technology - it’s the resulting vast quantity of information. For the most part, we don’t know how to interpret it or what to do with it."

Ad-hoc post-sequencing analysis is a massive undertaking. For Luke Wartman, the article's only success story, it took an academic laboratory and team of scientists working full-time to make meaning of his genomic data.

At GeneKey, our successes have required similar effort - every patient we serve has a dedicated team of scientists engaged in novel research to uncover targetable mechanisms for that patient. We also go well beyond sequencing, using multiple genomic technologies to generate a more comprehensive view of their cancer. It is worth noting that the crucial piece of information leading to Wartman's discovery was not found in his DNA sequence, but in supplementary RNA-level data.

Patients and oncologists will continue to look to individualized genomic discovery when current treatment standards fail them, and generally this is a good thing - in addition to identifying promising treatments for the patient, this type of research often generates novel scientific discoveries that drive the entire field forward. Nonetheless, patients seeking to find a successful treatment must understand that data-generation alone is unlikely to yield fruit. Substantial and sophisticated analysis will be needed to make their genomic data actionable.

The full article can be found here.