Basic gene profiling to single out the gene responsible for causing cancer and curing the disease now possible at select labs

Cancer treatment in the city is set to get personal in nature.

In a bid to improve the efficacy of cancer treatment, city doctors are now opting for gene profiling technique, which allows for identifying the gene responsible for the cancerous growth.


By isolating the gene, the doctors will not only be able to predict the growth of the cancer but also be able to devise a personalised treatment for you.

"From the available diagnostic tests, at times it becomes difficult for the doctors to distinguish the type of cancerous tumour. With gene expression profiling the doctor can actually detect the exact type of cancer," said Dr Mukesh Desai, haematologist, BJ Wadia Hospital for Children, Parel.

"Once the nature of the cancer is understood a specific treatment which best suits the patient can be selected from various treatments," he added.

Terming it a personalised cancer treatment, Dr Suresh Advani, chief oncologist of Jaslok Hospital, said, "The course of treatment can be selected by understanding the nature of tumour, whether it is aggressively spreading or not.

For instance, usually people who land up at my clinic and are diagnosed with stage one breast cancer have to undergo chemotherapy."

"But, with gene profiling, we can avoid chemotherapy in many cases as drugs might work better," he added.

Conventionally, medicos follow a group-specific treatment applicable to cancers of varied nature, but with gene profiling, there is an element of individual care.

No chemo

According to medical literature, there are reversible side effects of chemotherapy like hair loss, nausea, vomiting, weakness, and a lowered immunity, which can be avoided with the help of the new technique.

"To avoid the side effects and reduce the burden of various unnecessary drugs which take a toll on the human body, it is good to have a personalised treatment," said Dr Advani, adding that such basic tests cost anywhere between Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000.

Currently a few private laboratories are equipped to do basic gene profiling but advanced testing is yet not possible in the country, say experts.

Dr Anil Heroor, onco-surgeon at Fortis Hospital, said, "The advanced 21-type gene testing is yet not available in the country.

But we can send samples from those patients who can afford it to the US for testing. Going by the scientific trials, the profiling helps doctors select a specific treatment, doing more good to the patient at large."