Patients can add to tumor DNA database

Patients at Stephenson Cancer Center will have the option of contributing their tumor’s genetic information to a nationwide database, in the hope of finding better treatments for themselves or advancing knowledge about cancer.

The Oncology Research Information Exchange Network collects DNA from tumors, as well as information about what treatments patients received and what happened to them. The information doesn’t have any names attached, to protect patient privacy, said Dr. Robert Mannel, director of Stephenson Cancer Center. Patients at 18 other cancer hospitals also are eligible to submit their information. Participation is voluntary.

The network will allow doctors to test their patients’ tumors for a broader range of mutations, Mannel said. Typically, genetic sequencing looks at about 200 mutations that seem likely to be related to a patient’s cancer, so it could miss important information, he said.

“Precision medicine” is one of the more exciting possibilities to come out of improvements in DNA sequencing technology.

The idea is that doctors will be able to choose the best drug based on the mutations in each patient’s tumor, rather than making an educated guess based on what has worked with patients who have a tumor in the same part of their body. It hasn’t lived up to the hype yet. Many cancer types and mutations don’t have a clear best drug option, and other mutations likely haven’t been discovered yet. The network may help to fill in some of those blanks, Mannel said.

A center like Stephenson might see one patient with a rare mutation, but it’s impossible to tell if that mutation is a cancer driver or a harmless fluke when it only shows up in one person, he said. If hundreds or thousands of people across multiple states start showing up with the same mutation over time, however, it’s easier to make the case that the mutation is important and that drug developers should start working on it, Mannel said.