In a significant advancement for cancer treatment, a groundbreaking tumor analysis study has emerged, offering new hope for more precise skin cancer care.
Each tumor is inherently unique, presenting a major challenge in identifying the most effective treatment approach. Scientists from the University Hospital Zurich, the University of Zurich, ETH Zurich, and the University Hospital Basel have now carried out a world – first study. By leveraging nine distinct molecular biological technologies, they were able to accurately measure tumor properties within just four weeks, enabling more precise treatment decisions.
Traditionally, doctors have relied on established guidelines when choosing appropriate therapies for skin cancer patients. These guidelines have indeed led to improved treatment outcomes in recent years, especially for melanoma. However, even within the framework of standard therapies, multiple treatment options often exist, and it remains unclear which one will be most successful for a particular patient. The situation becomes even more complex when standard treatments are exhausted and there is limited scientific evidence on how to proceed.
The tumor profiler project, which has been underway since 2018, aims to explore how new molecular biological methods can enhance and expand treatment options beyond the conventional approaches. Recognizing that every tumor is unique down to the individual cell level, researchers used nine technologies to conduct in – depth analysis at this granular scale. This approach generates a comprehensive view of the biological processes within the tumor, encompassing DNA, RNA, and proteins. Such detailed knowledge allows for the determination of the most effective treatment from the available options, including medications, on an individual – patient basis. Moreover, this data – driven strategy also enables the consideration of drugs used for treating other cancers, thereby broadening the range of treatment possibilities for each case.
In the initial phase of the tumor profiler project, the focus was on identifying which molecular biological technologies could provide relevant treatment information. The study confirmed the feasibility of conducting such comprehensive analyses and the ability to process the vast amounts of data involved. The subsequent step was to explore the practical implementation of tumor profiling.
A prospective, multicenter observational study was then carried out by a research group of over 100 scientists from the above – mentioned institutions and Hoffmann – La Roche Ltd. The study aimed to determine the feasibility of this approach in a hospital setting and its potential advantages. Two crucial factors were examined: the time required to obtain the tumor analysis results and how treating physicians evaluated the resulting treatment recommendations. The tumors of 116 patients were analyzed, and individual treatment recommendations were derived from the 43,000 data points (equivalent to 0.5 terabyte of data) obtained from each sample. For the first time globally, nine molecular biological profiling technologies were used simultaneously in a study, and the data collected were applied to treatment predictions, directly benefiting treating physicians in clinical practice.
Regarding melanoma, the study showed that the treatment recommendations from tumor profiling were available within four weeks. In 75% of cases, treating specialists found these recommendations helpful for therapy selection, as they provided substantial information. The USZ tumor board, an association of oncology specialists, evaluated the tumor profiler data and proposed customized therapies for the study participants. Notably, patients whose treatments were based on the profiler data were more likely to respond to the therapy compared to those who did not participate in the program.
Andreas Wicki, a professor of oncology at the University of Zurich and co – director of the tumor profiler center at USZ, stated, “This is an encouraging result that goes beyond our initial study goals, though it still needs to be validated in larger – scale prospective and randomized clinical trials. This study represents a major stride towards data – based medicine, paving the way for new clinical trials that focus on predicting the most effective therapy rather than just testing individual drugs.”
This breakthrough research not only deepens our understanding of skin cancer tumors but also has the potential to revolutionize how skin cancer is treated, bringing more personalized and effective care to patients.
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