By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    benefits of using protein powder to build muscles
    Protein Powder for Muscle Mass: Everything You Need to Know
    December 12, 2021
    changes brought on by blockchain in healthcare
    Technology In The Healthcare Industry
    March 28, 2022
    What Does Core Body Temperature Say About Health?
    August 17, 2022
    Latest News
    Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
    May 16, 2025
    Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
    May 16, 2025
    Choosing the Right Supplement Manufacturer for Your Brand
    May 1, 2025
    Engineering Temporary Hospitals for Extreme Weather
    April 24, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    FDA Approves Diabetes Pill
    May 2, 2011
    Patient Gets Drunk on Hand Sanitizer
    June 20, 2011
    Cultivating Health Improvement
    July 20, 2011
    Latest News
    Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
    May 18, 2025
    The Critical Role of Healthcare in Personal Injury Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide for Victims
    May 14, 2025
    The Backbone of Successful Trials: Clinical Data Management
    April 28, 2025
    Advancing Your Healthcare Career through Education and Specialization
    April 16, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Genomics – a Revolution in Medicine – Part 2
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > News > Genomics – a Revolution in Medicine – Part 2
News

Genomics – a Revolution in Medicine – Part 2

StephenSchimpff
Last updated: April 18, 2012 8:21 am
StephenSchimpff
Share
6 Min Read
SHARE

In the previous post I discussed the field of pharmacogenomics. Today I will focus on

Disease classification
Disease prognostication
Early and rapid diagnosis
Prediction of diseases to develop later in life

In the previous post I discussed the field of pharmacogenomics. Today I will focus on

Disease classification
Disease prognostication
Early and rapid diagnosis
Prediction of diseases to develop later in life

More Read

Is Genetics Behind Your Motivation to Exercise?
Boomer Voice: Service Dogs Help Dementia Patients and Their Caregivers
2015 Trends for Rural Hospitals and Rural Healthcare
Will Power is Biological
Changing Behavior to Conquer Obesity

Genomics is proving to be very valuable in disease classification, especially with cancer. A pathologist’s evaluation looking at a microscopic slide has been the basis for most cancer classification – separating out breast cancer from lung cancer but then sub classifying each such as small cell and non-small cell lung cancer or the various subcategories of lymphomas. To this was added some years ago histochemical analysis to learn if a breast cancer was high in estrogen or progesterone receptors and then molecular diagnosis to find, for example, if the tumor had a high complement of the receptor Her2neu – each being important markers for the approach to treatment. Now genomics is adding an ability to delve much more deeply and find what the DNA mutations are in the individual tumor and how they are similar or different from others. This in turn is leading to searches for new drugs, as discussed last time.

This same work allows for early prognostication. Consider 100 women with breast cancer that appear by all the usual criteria to be the same type and of the same early stage. We know that most of them will respond well to current therapy of surgery, radiation locally and, in certain circumstances, systemic chemotherapy or hormonal therapy. But a small percentage will have a relapse. The problem is that there has been no way to determine in advance who is at risk of relapse. Genomics has begun to answer this problem. Analyzing the genomics of the tumor at the time of diagnosis, it is possible to separate these women into a good prognosis group and a poor prognosis group. The former rarely relapse and one might even consider if they need the same level of aggressive therapy as they are now getting. And the latter group is at high risk of recurrence; they are obvious candidates for clinical trials of alternate approaches to determine if relapses can be reduced. One such genomic prognostic test has been approved by the FDA and others are in the works for multiple cancers.

Genomics can be used for early diagnosis, especially in the field of infectious diseases. Remember the gentleman who flew to Italy on his honeymoon but who had tuberculosis? It led to an international concern that he might have infected others and that his TB might be of the drug resistant variety. One of the problems was that it takes about six weeks to grow the TB bacteria in the laboratory and then, if present, another six weeks to test for antibiotic susceptibility. But genomic tests can speed that process up to just hours. The TB bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) has a characteristic genomic profile so, if present in a sample from the patient, it can be detected within hours. And since antibiotic susceptibly is driven by the bacteria’s genes, they can be analyzed at the same time. A huge improvement in time to diagnosis and getting the right drug started from the beginning.
We might want to know if we are predisposed to develop a certain disease later in life. It is possible that genomics can be of real assistance here; indeed this has been a major “promise.” It turns out that most of the common, important diseases such as diabetes and coronary artery disease have not one but vast numbers of genes that have some impact on their development. So we will not find a simple answer for many of these. But as more is learned it is very possible that each of us will be able to learn our relative risk to some important and common illnesses. If you knew, for example, that you were at increased risk of heart disease, it might be a stimulus to you to be more diligent in eating a Mediterranean style diet, exercising more often and looking for ways to control stress- and it would be an added inducement to stop smoking. Similarly, if you were at risk for early onset colon cancer, you might be more careful to eat a diet high in fiber and low in fat and begin having colonoscopies at an earlier age.

These are just some of the advances coming from genomics; expect to see many more because genomics represents a true revolution in medicine and we have only seen the beginning.

Here is a videoon medical megatrends

TAGGED:genomics
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

Do You Grind Your Teeth at Night? Here’s How Night Guards and TMJ Treatments Can Help
Do You Grind Your Teeth at Night? Here’s How Night Guards and TMJ Treatments Can Help
Dental health
May 21, 2025
The Secret To A Confident Smile: Top Tips For Better Teeth
The Secret To A Confident Smile: Top Tips For Better Teeth
Dental health
May 21, 2025
Clinical Expertise
Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
Health care
May 18, 2025
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Health
May 15, 2025

You Might also Like

obamacare
Health ReformNewsPolicy & Law

Ted Cruz Filibuster Misses the Mark

October 15, 2013
get the benefits of a breast implant surgery
News

Minimize Risks When Choosing Breast Augmentation Experts

September 13, 2022
Image
News

Grand Rounds Hosted by HealthWorks Collective Next Tuesday, February 21st!

February 15, 2012
BusinessNews

Is Vaping Healthier Than Smoking? The Facts

June 26, 2017
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?