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Society for Women’s Health Research Briefing Focuses on Power of Genetic Tests To Improve Cancer Care for Women

In a Capitol Hill briefing March 9, 2010, the Society for Women’s Health Research focused on the value and future of genetic testing for cancer.

Treatment for cancer is no longer one-size-fits-all. Genetic tests provide information to physicians that lets them identify the genetic profile of cancer in individual women so they can select treatments based on the unique molecular nature of the individual's disease. Some examples include:

• HER-2 breast cancer test enables survival gain of 33%

• HPV-DNA cervical cancer test improves detection by 51%

• KRAS colon cancer test saves patients from drug side-effects

The breast cancer test noted above, for example, enables drug treatment that has been shown to increase survival by 33% and reduce recurrence by 50%.

To listen to a podcast from the briefing, click here.

For information on the briefing, click here.

For information on targeted treatment for cancer, click here.

For background on personalized medicine and genetic testing, click here.

View the ad about the briefing, which ran in Roll Call on March 8 and in Congress Daily on March 9.