Kelvin P. Lee, MD, senior associate dean of Cancer Research, director, Indiana University (IU) Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, H.H. Gregg professor of oncology, member, the Department of Medicine, the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, IU School of Medicine, Indiana University Health, discusses the importance of collaboration in precision medicine.

At the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, a precision medicine team takes patient referrals to receive testing and sequencing, Lee says. The team then analyzes the results to identify abnormalities and mutations that could lead to actionable treatment, Lee adds. This process is beneficial because multiple experts gather in one room to discuss the best course of action, Lee explains.

With the addition of a virtual option for these meetings, there is the benefit of adding moving precision medicine out into the community, Lee continues. Utilizing the virtual option can allow the team to reach more patients, plus more primary care physicians or community oncologists, to get referrals and assist in treatment decisions, Lee concludes.

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Kelvin P. Lee, MD, discusses the importance of collaboration in precision medicine.


Dr. Lee on the Importance of Collaboration in Precision Medicine

Kelvin P. Lee, MD, senior associate dean of Cancer Research, director, IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, H.H. Gregg professor of oncology, member, the Department of Medicine, the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, IU School of Medicine, Indiana University Health, discusses the importance of sequencing in precision medicine.

Every patient and every tumor should be sequenced early in the treatment journey, since it may not be able to be completed down the line, Lee says. Along with informing treatment decisions, sequencing produces information that can aid in better understanding a patient’s cancer, Lee explains. For example, sequencing in patients with lung cancer can better identify targeted therapies that could lead to better responses, Lee adds.

Moreover, sequencing can help clinicians understand how various mutations interact with each other and how they can affect treatment plans, based on the tumor’s dynamic interaction, Lee explains. Further testing will continue to drive the field forward, and early testing can provide oncologists and patients with answers down the line, Lee concludes.

Kelvin P. Lee, MD, discusses the importance of sequencing in precision medicine.

Kelvin P. Lee, MD

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Dr. Lee on the Importance of Collaboration in Precision Medicine

Dr. Lee on the Importance of Sequencing in Precision Medicine