Cancer blood test a lifesaving breakthrough

The Australian featured an exclusive story on the remarkable insights provided by genomic testing.  To quote Dr Piers Blombery, Head of the Molecular Haematology Laboratory at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre,“Every cancer is different and genomics testing such as the ctDNA panel gives clinicians more details about what drives the individual patient’s tumour cells; it can give you more accurate diagnoses, prognoses and ultimately more treatment options.”

For Dr Bruce Davis, pictured with his wife Pat, the ctDNA genomic test saved his life.  Prof Miles Prince was part of the team of doctors treating Bruce when his T-cell lymphoma returned.  Bruce was days away from death when testing was performed and identified a specific protein that was present on melanoma tumours.  Prof Prince stated “This result came as a big surprise — it was unexpected.”  “Unbelievably, we gave him a particular drug used to treat melanoma, he had a huge fever and it was almost like the movies — he woke up the next day like a new person.”

Getting an accurate diagnosis is critical to treatment.

Professor Prince called on the federal government to fund genomic testing. “This is really ­essential because this testing is saving people’s lives every day.”

The Snowdome Foundation currently funds genomic testing at the Christine and Bruce Wilson Centre for Genomics which is housed at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. You can help a patient receive an accurate diagnosis by donating to the Snowdome Foundation and choosing the Wilson Centre for Lymphoma Genomics as your donation type.