Vanderbilt launches Cancer decision Support tool

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Slideshow: Health, it stimulates the Patient Care, SafetyVanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC) has launched the nation first cancer personalized decision support website which will allow to collect and distribute information on the growing list of genetic mutations which impact on various cancersas well as to provide links to research papers on the various treatment options based on specific mutations.

The online tool, my Cancer genome, is linked to StarPanel electronic medical record (EMR) database of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, giving doctors the ability to refer patients, the results of laboratory medical history, medications and other medical information with data that allows to follow the latest developments in personalized medicine online from cancer and clinical research.

In an interview with InformationWeek, William Pao, Associate Professor of medicine and Director of personalized medicine for cancer to the VICC, said that the cancer research community provides that landscape is likely to become more complex as new clinically relevant mutations are discovered.

"We aspire to be the site of reference, so that the up-to-date data on clinical associations between mutations and therapeutic results will be easy to find," said Pao. "An approach genetically informed cancer medicine is currently in its infancy, but promising results using this approach, we anticipate that it will become more widely adopted."

PAO also noted that widespread adoption of a genetically informed occur approach, it will be important that persons making clinical decisions, as well as patients, the information that they need at their fingertips. "We hope that this website will provide information to date to help people make informed treatment decisions," he said.

To help speed processing decisions based on the best available scientific data, physicians who receive a tumour laboratory results showing a mutation in a specific gene that is relatively rare profiling can log on to my Cancer genome tool and, in a few minutes, find the latest information on the clinical implications of the gene.

The doctor may then recommend the treatment that is currently available or refer the patient to a clinical trial that is testing targeted for the gene therapy. Patients can also visit the VICC Web site and learn more about their cancer using the online tool.

"Once we test tumor of the patient for specific mutations, test results of remaining in a patient's medical record, as well as new treatments become available for each mutation, our physicians will have this information at your fingertips.""Mia Levy, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Informatics and medicine clinical Informatics Officer and VICC cancer, said in a news release.

The first two forms of cancer featured on information tool my Cancer of the genome of the CIVC are melanoma and lung cancer.

"In the future, will the Web site have more content, not only on lung cancer and melanoma, but the cancer of the colon, thymic carcinoma and other malignancies, breast cancer" said DTP. "We hope eventually make searchable data so that people can type in their type of cancer and their tumor mutations to find relevant clinical information about their specific disease." In the end, the Web site could become a collaborative tool among the cancer community to accelerate the development of therapies and improve outcomes for patients, "Added Pao."

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