Wall Street Journal Article on The Genomic Revolution Reflects the Importance of Patient Self-Education and Self-Advocacy

Yesterday’s Wall Street Journal article (Gene Breakthroughs Spark a Revolution in Cancer Treatment) explores the breathtaking progress in cancer treatment, while also demonstrating the critical need for patient self-education, empowerment, and discernment in this changing medical environment. The article follows the story of Kellie Carey, who successfully self-advocated her way to truly cutting-edge cancer care. Roy Herbst, Chief of Medical Oncology at Yale Cancer Center, sums up the state of genomic testing quite well: “A lot of places can tell you they do this now, but few really have the people in place who know what to do.”

Even among those who do "know what to do", the depth and sophistication of the testing varies: from the single gene tests described in the article, to the 200-gene panel briefly mentioned, to the full systems-biology analyses of the entire genome (20,000+ genes) and its expression products that GeneKey performs.

Currently it is often up to the patient to research the emerging science, to identify appropriate testing, and to advocate for its use. In doing so, patients must also differentiate between rudimentary genetic tests and  sophisticated genomic analyses and make an informed choice appropriate to their situation. While this learning curve may seem intimidating, the article’s Ms. Carey could certainly attest that doing the proper research and taking an aggressive role in one’s treatment can make a world of difference.

The full article can be found here:
Gene Breakthroughs Spark a Revolution in Cancer Treatment