Personalisation
Customised therapy
Thanks to the development of increasingly better laboratory diagnostics and new DNA techniques, personal and genetic factors can be mapped. This makes it possible to predict the effect of a therapy in an individual patient. The use of molecular diagnostics leads to personalised medication and therapy: the right treatment, for the right patient, at the right time.
Below are examples of the added value of laboratory testing for personalisation:
Cancer
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Lung cancer
ALK mutation test
In only three to five percent of all lung cancer cases is there an ALK gene mutation. For treating this small subgroup, a targeted and effective medication has been developed: crizotinib, an ALK receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Using the ALK mutation test, patients who would benefit from this expensive treatment can be selected.
The ALK mutation test detects rearrangements in the ALK gene based on fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH). The test is performed on prepared tumor tissue. The ALK mutation test is a so-called companion diagnostic, a combination of predictive test and medication.
EGFR mutation test
For patients with confirmed EGFR mutations, specific treatments are possible with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), such as erlotinib, gefitinib, and afatinib. The EGFR mutation test can select patients who would benefit from this expensive treatment. The mutation can be demonstrated through DNA analysis of blood plasma using PCR. The EGFR mutation test is a ‘companion diagnostic’, combining predictive testing and medication.
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Melanoma
BRAF mutation test
The BRAF mutation test detects V600E, V600K, and V600D mutations. The molecular test is based on DNA analysis using PCR technology and is performed on prepared tumor tissue. The test is a so-called companion diagnostic, combining predictive testing and medication. Patient selection for treatment with BRAF inhibitors is based on BRAF mutation tests.
