Short Description

There is a growing interest in personalized cancer treatments and the identification of suitable treatments that may work best for the individual with cancer. Liquid Biopsy Chemosensitivity testing is one method of doing this. Liquid Biopsy Chemosensitivity testing provides information and guidance about the treatments and, in particular, what treatments may be best suited to the individual in clinical practice. Who are these tests for? People who want to actively engage in reducing their risk of developing cancer in the future. People with an increased risk of cancer e.g. due to family history or lifestyle/environmental issues who want the opportunity to engage in a screening program for early detection and diagnosis. These test can: Detect early signs of developing cancer, Help to monitor existing Cancers, Produce an individual profile of which cancer drugs and which natural substances can be used to achieve the best treatment

PreTest Information

Cancer doctors primarily rely on the statistical analysis of large treatment trials to decide which drugs to use for specific cancers. Chemosensitivity testing involves testing an individual’s cancer cells in the laboratory to see which drugs and which natural substances demonstrate the best response.

Detail Description

Personalized Cancer Testing

• Early detection
• Personalized treatment of cancer
• Chemosensitivity testing

DNA Labs India offers a range of individualized tests from a world-class molecular oncology laboratory based in Hyderabad, India.

Circulating Tumour Cells 

CTCs are cancer cells that have broken away from the primary tumor and have entered the bloodstream where they circulate and have the potential to generate metastatic disease. These cells can be isolated identified and detected for the following purposes:

• The early detection and diagnosis of new cancers Monitoring existing cancers
• Prognosis – providing information about the risk of recurrence of a current or old cancer
• Monitoring existing cancers

DNA Labs India offers general assays for CTCs and for specific cancers, including breast, colorectal, prostate, malignant melanoma, and sarcomas.

Liquid Biopsy Chemosensitivity testing

A Panoramic, state of the art clinical decision support system with predictive and prognostic Next Generation Functional assays for implementing precise, selective, and targeted therapies focusing on clinical outcome and response

The DNA Labs India Test is a blood test or tissue. Tumor cells are identified and isolated from the sample for the following analysis:

• Viability testing of chemotherapy drugs
• Genetic profiling for guidance about targeted therapies e.g. monoclonal antibodies
• Viability testing (and identification of mechanisms of action), of natural substances which may be used as part of a complementary treatment strategy.

The results are presented in a written report which the doctor can use to help guide treatment options and choices.

In addition, DNA Labs India can provide information about how an individual will ‘handle’ specific chemotherapy agents. Our genetic makeup determines whether we are ‘accumulators’ or ‘rapid metabolizers’ of certain drugs. This can play a critical role in determining how effective a specific treatment is likely to be for us, and how significant the side effects will be.

These test can:

• Detect early signs of developing cancer,
• Help to monitor existing Cancers,
• Produce an individual profile of which cancer drugs and which natural substances can be used to achieve the best treatment

Applicable to all types of solid tumors in different organs

After the primary treatment of surgery, adjuvant chemotherapy is necessary for killing tumor cells that have already entered the lymphatics or the bloodstream and spread over the whole body. In general, the decision in favor of a particular drug is based on its phase-I11- study results and admission regulations which in turn depend on the type and location of the tumor, degree of metastasis, number of prior treatments, and staging of the patients.

Other factors like age, condition, and side effects of prior therapies are also included in the decision. After considering these factors, the CHEMRES test will identify unsuitable therapies by revealing drugs that are probably resistant to the tumor thereby influencing the decision in favor of a drug.

The Oncologist will choose standard drug panels according to the tumor types and/or can customize his own drug panels. Among different validated drugs he can choose 6-10 drugs (or combinations).

Need for Personalized Therapy

Every cancer is unique due to its complexity in genomic instability (Germline and Somatic mutations), Heterogeneity, Tumor microenvironment, Chronic Inflammation, Metastasis, & Drug resistance. Every patient is also unique due to the complex interplay of Genome, Epigenome, Proteome, Microbiome, Lifestyle, Physiological Stress, Diet, etc. which can influence Oncogenesis, Tumor progression, Drug tolerance, Remission, and Relapse. The combination of all the above complex processes and parameters makes the pathophysiology of Cancer the most difficult for clinical decision making.

The treatment has to be functionally relevant and biologically significant towards the individual’s tumor nature. Targeted therapy has gained credibility in reinforcing and/or replacing conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy with precision oncology to improve efficacy, minimize side effects of drugs and avoid drug resistance.

To achieve the therapeutic efficacy & control, comprehensive characterization of Molecular, Cellular, & Physiological landscapes that regulate tissue homeostasis & tumor microenvironmental etiologies which in turn dictate the prognosis is of paramount importance. This paradigm shift in understanding the causality of tumor epidemiology with the help of the next generation functional tests will help the clinicians to take successful & well informed therapeutic decisions.

A companion diagnostic (CDx) test to determine the applicability of a therapeutic drug to a specific person. CHEMRES-test is an in vitro diagnostic method that predicts the resistance and sensitivity of an individual patient to chemotherapy with high accuracy. It is a laboratory examination carried out on living tumor cells, which have been removed from the patient before chemotherapy or undergoing chemotherapy. Drugs that do not affect the tumor cell growth in this, will most likely not achieve an effect on the patient’s body. The decision in favor of a certain chemotherapeutic agent might therefore be influenced by the CHEM RES-Test. By identifying ineffective drugs, we can get rid of unnecessary chemotherapies to patients which will not only help in reducing side effects and cost but save valuable time for different therapies and reduce the probability of resistance (cross-resistance) to other drugs.

Patients will be divided up into three groups according to the result

Extreme Resistance (ER): Here tumor will not respond and its cell growth is not inhibited by the tested drug compared to an untreated control group. These agents should not be used because the therapy is expected to fail.

Medium Resistance (MR): Here tumor cell growth is only a little inhibited by the tested drug compared to an untreated control group. Ideally, these agents should not be used because there is an increased probability that the therapy will fail. Tumor cells partially respond to the used agent.

Slight Resistance (SR): Here tumor cell growth will be strongly inhibited by the tested drug compared to an untreated control group. These agents are most likely to lead to effective chemotherapy. However, this test was specifically developed to identify resistance. The success of the therapy is therefore not guaranteed. Tumor cells were only a little resistant to the used agent.