Dr. Ganesan on Leveraging Precision Medicine to Improve Cancer Care

Shridar Ganesan, MD, PhD, Chief, Molecular Oncology and Associate Director for Translational Research at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, and attending physician at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, discusses improvements in precision medicine and the need to enroll patients with different molecular subtypes into specifically designed clinical trials.

Molecular features of each patient’s cancer are now being incorporated into the classification of the disease, according to Ganesan. Treatment decisions are now being guided by information pertaining to molecular features in addition to primary tumor location and appearance under a microscope, Ganesan adds.

The ability to identify alterations and develop effective targeted therapies has significantly impacted cancer care, Ganesan says. Although these advancements have moved the needle forward, designing meaningful clinical trials remains a challenge, Ganesan explains.

Clinical trials for patients with cancer must now focus on incorporating patients with different molecular subtypes of each cancer, Ganesan explains. Designing and effectively enrolling patients to these trials is necessary to adequately evaluate emerging approaches, especially second- and third-generation agents and novel combinations, Ganesan concludes.