Every tumor is unique. This makes it difficult to find the most effective therapy for treatment. University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Ath Zurich and University Hospital Basel’s Tumor Profiler Center has now conducted a study in which four separate molecular biological technologies were used to properly measure tumor properties and capable an accurate treatment decision in four weeks. The study is the first of its kind in the world.

Doctors made their decisions the basis on the guidelines established while choosing proper medical treatment. Thanks to these guidelines, much better treatment results have been achieved in recent years, especially in case MelanomaHowever, even within these standard remedies, there are often many treatment options, and it is not always clear which therapy is most likely to succeed for a particular patient. This becomes even more difficult when standard treatment is finished and there are very few scientific evidence about how to continue treatment.

Learn below each tumor for individual cells

So far, cancer treatments have been mainly determined on tissue basis where tumors originated and its genetic features. The tumor profiler project, which has been running from 2018, is investigating how new molecular biological methods can help improve and expand the options of treatment for patients beyond standard remedies. To do this, researchers take advantage of the fact that each tumor is unique to individual cells. Nine technologies are used to analyze a tumor at the individual cell level. The information obtained in this way creates a comprehensive picture of biological processes in the tumors from DNA to RNA and protein. This knowledge should then make it possible to determine the most effective treatment for individual patients available, especially from medicines, especially drugs. This data-driven approach also makes it possible to include drugs used to treat other cancers in evaluation, thus wider the range of treatment options based on case-by-case.

In the first stage of the tumor profiler project, it was investigated which molecular biological technologies provide relevant information for treatment and showed that such comprehensive analysis is possible and the necessary processing of the huge amounts of data is possible. The next step was to check how tumor profileing could be applied in practice.

First study with nine molecular biological methods and practical applications

In a potential, multi-level observation study, a research group of more than 100 scientists of the University Hospital Zurich, Jurich University, Ath Zurich, University Hospital Basel and Hofman-Lala Rosh Limited investigated whether this approach is possible in the hospital and whether it provides benefits. How long it takes to get available in tumor analysis and treating physicians assess resulting recommendations – two major factors for successful application of tumor profiles in practice. Tumors of 116 patients were analyzed for this purpose. Personal treatment recommendations were obtained from 43,000 data points or 0.5 terabytes (TB) data per sample. For the first time worldwide, nine molecular biological technologies were used in parallel in a study and first, the data collected from these technologies was also used in the prophecies of treatment for the benefit of treating physicians in the clinic.

Rapid analysis and personal treatment recommendations for melanoma

The study was able to show that the recommendations provided by tumor profiles were available after four weeks and in 75% cases, treatment experts found him assistant to the choice of therapy and provided them with adequate information.

These values ​​and information show us that recommendations from tumor profileing are available within the appropriate period of time and with tangible and direct implementable benefits to the doctors who are treated. ,

Nicola Miglino, University Hospital Zurich at Medical Oncology and Hematology Department

The USZ Tumor Board, an association of oncology experts assessed tumor profiles and proposed specific treatments to suit the study participants based on this information. It was found that patients whose treatment was based on profile data information used to reply more often on therapy than patients who did not participate in the program. “This is an encouraging result that is beyond our actual goal of studies, but one who still needs to confirm in potential and random clinical trials that involve more patients,” how Andreas Vicky, Professor of Oncology Department at the University of Andreas Vicky, Deputy Director of the Department of Medical Oncology and Hemtology and Hematology and Co-Director Center. He continues: “This study is a major step towards data-based medical treatment. It paves the way for new clinical trials that do not test individual drugs, but actually predict the most effective therapy.”