Biomarkers that could change the way cancer is treated

Find the “right medicine” as soon as possible

In cancer treatment, this situation often occurs: the same treatment method or drug is very effective for A, but ineffective for B, and not only ineffective for C, but also has serious side effects.

After a patient is diagnosed, how can we determine which treatment method is most suitable for him? It is obviously difficult to do this based on the doctor’s experience alone, and it is even more unrealistic to try them one by one. Another treatment case shared by Dr. Huang Yiwu highlights the important role of “biomarker” testing in cancer treatment – choosing the most effective treatment plan based on the specific characteristics of the tumor:

A 36-year-old patient came to the clinic with a diagnosis of advanced malignant lymphoma. Based on his condition, the doctor developed a chemotherapy plus targeted therapy plan for him. After six courses of treatment, his tumor completely disappeared, and imaging examinations showed that there were no lesions in his body.

However, a follow-up CT scan six months later revealed that he had multiple nodules in his lungs. The doctor initially determined that it was a recurrence of lymphoma, but in order to confirm the diagnosis, a fine needle aspiration biopsy of the lung nodules was performed and some tumor cells were removed for analysis. The test results were surprising: this was not lymphoma, but another type of cancer – lung adenocarcinoma.

Because the lung adenocarcinoma had spread to both lungs, the patient was not suitable for surgery or radiotherapy. The doctor performed a molecular genetic test on him and found that the patient carried the ALK fusion gene mutation.

Therefore, the doctor selected a drug specifically targeting this gene mutation for him. After taking the drug, the patient had another CT scan within three months, which showed that the tumor in his lung had completely disappeared. His condition was under complete control. He has been taking this targeted drug for more than four years, and the tumor has not recurred, nor has it affected his daily life.

Biomarkers aren’t just for cancer

Biomarker detection is not only used for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, but also has a wide range of applications in clinical practice, including cardiovascular diseases, metabolic diseases, and nervous system diseases. For example: