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 Testing on the Hot Seat
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 > Technology > Medical Innovations > Genomics Testing on the Hot Seat
Medical Innovations

Genomics Testing on the Hot Seat

gooznews
Last updated: July 19, 2011 12:19 pm
gooznews
Share
4 Min Read
SHARE

Scandals often clarify issues. A researcher at Duke Medical Center recently departed after his ballyhooed genomics tests for identifying lung and other cancers was unmasked as based on falsified data. The scheme unraveled after Paul Goldberg’s Cancer Letter revealed the scientist had falsely proclaimed himself a Rhodes scholar.

Scandals often clarify issues. A researcher at Duke Medical Center recently departed after his ballyhooed genomics tests for identifying lung and other cancers was unmasked as based on falsified data. The scheme unraveled after Paul Goldberg’s Cancer Letter revealed the scientist had falsely proclaimed himself a Rhodes scholar.

The scandal is roiling the world of genomics testing, on which so much of the promise of personalized medicine rests. Today’s New York Times Science section belatedly recognizes problems in the “gene signature” field by noting “the few successes in this brave new world of cancer research.”

I’ve been covering this subject for the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (subscription required). As I noted in a recent article:

More Read

Where is the Device Industry’s Seat at the “Network of Experts” Table?
Spit Happens! Genentech and 23andMe Team Up to Advance Genomic Testing in Clinical Trials
Clinical and Technology Focus of New Medtech Startups
Healthcare Tech Advances That All Clinics Should Use
Advance Practice Nurse Solution: Making Healthcare Affordable for All

Though hundreds of studies have appeared in the medical literature making claims for the predictive power of multi-gene signatures of different cancers, few have been deemed ready for prime time. A review last year of 16 studies of multiple gene-signatures in non-small cell lung cancer found “little evidence that any of the reported gene expression signatures are ready for clinical application.”

Reduced to its essence, here’s the problem. These tests are based on the measurement of the under- or over-expression of dozens of genes. Those results are then subjected to a complex algorithm that is based on a series of “weights” given the expression levels of each of the genes in the targeted panel. Those weights are added up for a composite score that determines whether you have of a particular form of a disease, and whether it is more or less likely to be affected by a particular drug. In other words, this extraordinarily complex test based on dozens of unvalidated, epidemiological observations leads to a clinical decision that is binary. Either you have or don’t have that kind of cancer; either you will or will not benefit from that drug.

There is, of course, a proven method for determining whether these tests provide useful results. Medical scientists could subject the tests to clinical trials where the drug in question is given to patients whom the test identifies as being susceptible to its mechanism of action, as well as given to an arm in the trial made up of patients deemed “unsusceptible.” Both arms and their doctors won’t know the results of the test beforehand. If the susceptible arm actually does better on the drug (longer overall survival), then the complex algorithm and that panel of genes will have been proven useful and ready for prime time.

While single gene tests like BRCA1 have been subjected to clinical trial validation, not a single multiple gene-signature test has undergone such testing. A first trial of a widely used breast cancer test called OncotypeDX is now underway with National Cancer Institute funding. Clearly, we’re only at the very beginning of a long scientific road that may one day lead to personalized medicine.

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

Healthcare Costs Involved in Treating Drug Addiction

March 31, 2016
CardiologyMedical DevicesMedical InnovationsTechnology

The Value And Criticism Of Robot-Assisted Heart Surgery

May 15, 2019
Medical InnovationsTechnology

4 Healthcare IT Technologies Set to Take Over This Year

May 1, 2018
TalkItt App for speech impaired
BusinesseHealthMedical InnovationsTechnology

TalkItt: An App That Gives Voice to the Speech Impaired

September 2, 2014
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?