Individualized Treatments for Lung Cancer
The lung cancer program at the Winship Cancer Institute is shaping the future of lung cancer care by studying the effects of individualized cancer treatments. Because genetic mutations cause cancer, it is not uncommon for a lung cancer patient to have 50 genetic mutations in their cancer. Individualized care involves understanding the biology of the genes that are driving a patient’s tumor. It is hoped that by understanding the drivers of a patient’s tumor, treatments can be created to best treat their particular case of lung cancer.
Emory offers patients access to cutting edge cancer clinical trials. These trials work to advance cancer care and cancer research, allowing doctors to continue to learn about the biological drivers of cancer and develop individualized therapies. In addition, development of new anti-cancer drugs is also an important priority. The lung cancer program at Winship, led by Dr. Suresh Ramalingam, is actively testing several new drugs for the treatment of lung cancer.
Patient Advantages:
- Individualized therapy creates a treatment that is tailored to the specific biology of a patient’s tumor.
- Patients get the maximum effect from the treatment and experience fewer side effects because their therapy is personally designed to treat their cancer.
- A daily pill can potentially reduce tumor size and improve symptoms - Emory currently offers patients clinical trials tailored for certain specific genetic abnormalities in the tumor.
