BENGALURU: Next Generation Sequencing technology helps provide a targeted therapy in cancer. Lung cancer in particular responds best to targeted therapy, say experts.
Lung cancer is highest among Indian men.
“Next generation therapy is very much happening but doctors must ask us what will be the most effective line of treatment,” says an expert in next generation sequencing. NGS involves taking a blood sample from a cancer patient and testing it for 79 genes that are known to cause cancer. If they are found to be mutated, it shows that the sequence is not normal.
In a conversation with City Express at Bioserve Cancer Genetics at the Global Cancer Summit in the City Dr Mandar Kulkarni said, “There are specific panels for different cancers. There are enough studies and papers published in India and elsewhere to show that NGS helps choose a particular line of treatment that will help a cancer patient.” If the DNA found in blood of a lung cancer patient shows that a gene may have caused his cancer. Then, he can be given a drug that targets only those cells that have the abnormal genes.
Dr Aparna Kotekar of iGenetic Diagnostics, who was also present at the international summit, says, “Each mutation always has a targeted therapy. Other mutations may show a resistance to the same drug. With today’s advances we find that lung cancer is most receptive to targeted therapy.”
Conventional therapy attacks the divideing cells and causes ugly effects. Drugs used in targeted therapy will only kill the cancer cells. This will minimise the side effects such as hair cells, skin cells and blood cells. hair loss and skin damage, she said.
SPECIFIC TEST REDUCES COST
“When a cancer patient’s blood is tested for 79 genes, it will cost only `36,000”, says Dr Aparna. Each gene may correspond to one type of cancer, making the diagnosis fast and specific.
Dr Mandar says, “The patient will be spending Rs 6 lakhs for the cancer treatment.This test will only increase the possibility of treating his cancer.The other family members however may share only one gene with the patient. And may have to get tested only for that gene to know if they are predisposed to that same cancer, making the process cheaper and faster.”