Cancer TreatmentTailored For You (NAPSA)—Receiving a diagnosis of cancer can be an overwhelming and confusing experience. The American Cancer Society estimates that close to 1.4 million people in the United States were diagnosed with cancer last year. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer, you are most likely —— seeking information on treatment options. With so many choices, it can be a difficult decision. But with personalized medicine, there are new approaches to cancer treatment that address each patient on an individual basis and identify the treatment regimen that will work best for you. Exploring Treatment Options Currently, more than 70 chemotherapies are used to treat cancer patients. With so many choices, it can be difficult for a doctor to decide the oneright for you. Generally, doctors make treatment decisions using standard cancer guidelines that have been developed based on what worksfor the majority of patients. However, treatments that work for the majority of patients do not work for everyone. In fact, as many as seven out of 10 cancer patients will not respond to the accepted, standard treatment regimen. When this happens, patients must undergo additional chemotherapy. For some patients, a combination of chemotherapy drugs may be used, which can end up being more toxic to the body right treatment approach. —— — i and possibly inhibit the effectiveness of future treatments. WhenChristine Pica’s husband was diagnosed a year ago with lung cancer, they wanted answers immediately. “We knew wehad to find the right treatment and we wantedto know what would work before my husband started chemotherapy,” Pica said. “Previously, I had learned abouta test that could be performed before treatment that would identify which chemotherapies would workbest for a patient. The test helped find a treatment regimen for my husband and I’m very happy to say heis still working and doing well.” A Personalized Approach to Cancer Treatment Pica took advantage of a test being offered through Rational Therapeutics, a pioneering cancer research testing center specializing in individualized therapy. Using certain tests, centers such as Ratio- nal Therapeutics can analyze each patient’s cancer and determine the The test works by using cancer cells from an individual patient and testing specific drugs or a combination of drugs for the ability to kill cancer cells. This is the best way to predict how effective a drug will be at destroying cancer in the body. The test also helps doctors rule out drugs that will not work for an individual patient, bypassing costly treatment options. “Every patient is unique. By extension, the cancer that patient battles is unique,” said Dr. Robert Nagourney, medical and laboratory director at Rational Therapeutics. “We now havethetools to customize cancer care andtreatit on a personal basis. There is no reason we should accept average care built for the masses any longer.” Close to 1.4 million individuals were diagnosed with cancer last year in the United States. If you have been diagnosed with cancer, you deserve the highest-quality care. Choosing a doctor and your specific treatment is one of the most important decisions you will make. To learn more about a test that will help you find the most effective cancer treatment before you start chemotherapy, visit the Vanguard Cancer Foundation—a nonprofit, volunteer organization advocating for more personalized and intelligent cancer care— online at www.vanguardcancer foundation.org.
