An important study that may advance the field of personalized medicine was published in the prestigious scientific journal Nature. The study, entitled “Whole Genomes Redefine the Mutational Landscape of Pancreatic Cancer,” also reinforces the value of the Know Your Tumor service that the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network has recently begun to offer.

The study was a whole-genome analysis that identified all the genetic deviations present in samples taken from 100 patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Several Pancreatic Cancer Action Network research grant recipients and advisors contributed to the study, which was conducted primarily by the Australian Pancreatic Genome Initiative arm of the International Cancer Genome Consortium and involved some U.S.-based collaborators and coauthors.

The findings confirmed the importance of genes previously known to play a critical role in the development and progression of pancreatic cancer, such as KRAS, and also revealed many other genes that may have a role in the disease. The presence of certain genetic abnormalities may predict a patient’s response to particular treatment options. Using the genetic profile from a patient’s tumor to determine a customized treatment plan is known as personalized medicine.

The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network’s personalized medicine service, Know Your Tumor, profiles a patient’s tumor to learn more about its genetic makeup and mutations. The article published in Nature may make the genetic mutation information that patients get from the Know Your Tumor service even more useful to their oncologists in determining treatment. In addition to providing genetic profiling results and information on any related treatment options for individual patients, the Know Your Tumor initiative will collect tumor information from thousands of pancreatic cancer patients to assist with future research and the development of new therapies and diagnostics for the disease.

For more information about this study or to learn if you or a loved one qualifies for the Know Your Tumor service, please call 877-272-6226, Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. PT, or complete our contact form.