This page was last modified on Saturday, January 22, 2011 11:07:03 AM
My parents, Ted and I and two dedicated workers at T-GEN stop to take a photo during our tour of their cancer research center in Phoenix, AZ. They have been doing in-depth DNA genetic research on GBM and other cancers for eight years. Not only are they making great advancements toward brain cancer research for everyone, but they are now able to do individualized testing of your tumor under very precise circumstances. It's critical that immediately upon excision of your tumor, that your surgeon is willing to connect with this organization. When Ted was diagnosed this was not the case, but when we spoke to his oncologist at his last appointment, she said that Northwest Cancer Specialists are now connected to T-GEN and very aware of their research. She couldn't say enough great things about this organization. They treated us as if we were VIPs. In a nutshell, T-GEN can examine your tumor and map its unique characteristics in an effort to provide you with individualized treatment from your local participating oncologist.
We met with one of the GBM researchers who gave me an example of some of their work in laymen's terms. He said that it used to be when someone was diagnosed with breast cancer, they were treated with standard drugs for breast cancer. Now, through very specialized testing, they have discovered that even though a cancer cell resides in breast tissue that it may, for example, have the genetic markers of pancreatic cancer or other cancers. With this type of targeted therapy, individuals can be treated with drugs that have shown positive results for the specific types of cancers they are exhibiting. That's the best I can do explaining all the great things they are doing. If you'd like to find out more, make sure to visit their website. All about T-GEN