Winship will partner with Caris Life Sciences to conduct molecular profiling of the cancer patients whom Winship serves.
Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University (Winship) announces it will partner with Caris Life Sciences to conduct molecular profiling of the cancer patients whom Winship serves. The partnership will add to Winship's existing molecular testing platform that has been in use for the past seven years.
Winship physicians will have the option of ordering Next Generation Sequencing for their patients through either the in-house platform or the Caris platform. The Caris platform conducts tumor profiling though a comprehensive analysis utilizing up to 10 different platforms to include DNA Sequencing, Whole Transcriptome RNA Sequencing and a compliment of proteomic platforms include RNA Sequencing for Fusion detection. Molecular profiles will assist our care teams in identifying treatable targets for Winship patients. The overarching goal is to provide therapies to patients based on a thorough understanding of the genomic characteristics of their tumor. Using the testing platform, physicians will be able to determine if a patient is a candidate for FDA-approved targeted therapies, immunotherapy, or for clinical trials of highly promising new drugs.
Molecular profiling has become a new standard of care for patients with many types of cancer and is a cornerstone for making more precise and individualized treatment decisions. "This comprehensive multi-platform approach will assist Winship in delivering the most personalized care to each of our patients," says Walter J. Curran, Jr., MD, executive director of Winship and the Lawrence W. Davis Chair in Radiation Oncology and the Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar and Chair in Cancer Research.
Winship investigators will also have access to the complete raw data set from the Caris sequencing for additional research analyses. Winship molecular pathologists will continue to play a pivotal role in guiding oncologists on interpretation of the molecular data and in steering the regularly held Winship Molecular Oncology Tumor Boards. This partnership will directly benefit patient care and research and enhance Winship’s existing precision medicine approaches.
"High quality molecular information is critical to our individualized treatment plans," says Suresh Ramalingam, MD, Winship deputy director, director of the Winship Lung Cancer Program, and the Roberto C. Goizueta Distinguished Chair for Cancer Research. "I see this testing capability benefiting our patient care and our clinical research."
Over the upcoming weeks, the Caris team will meet with Winship’s clinical teams to orient them to the new testing platform. This partnership will also open research opportunities for Winship investigators interested in precision medicine.
