We go one step further. Sequencing tumors, for example, can reveal changes in the genetic material that may be used as a target for treatment of your tumor. However, it’s not clear if the targeted treatment will work in your case. Recent studies have shown that only a fraction of patients (0.8 – 3%) have been able to benefit from a therapy chosen for its sequencing results (Tannock & Hickman, 2019). In contrast, ASC Oncology’s Reverse Clinical Engineering^® uses a person’s own tumor model to directly test the cancer drugs’ efficacy. This allows a prediction to be made about how you will respond to therapy. Find out more about the test procedure under Science. 

Your treating physician removes a small piece of cancer tissue during your surgery or biopsy and sends this directly to ASC Oncology’s laboratory. Our team of scientists multiplies the living tumor cells in the lab and grows “avatars” of your tumor, called ‘tumor organoids’. These avatars of the tumor can be used to test drugs that may be candidates for treating your tumor, allowing the most effective anticancer drug to be determined before therapy begins. Our results are an important decision-making aid for personalized anticancer therapy. Compared to following standard guideline recommended therapy, this approach has higher chances of treatment success. View a complete list of steps of the procedure here. 

No, ASC Oncology does not replace your oncologist, but provides you and your doctor with additional information. Every patient and every cancer is unique. The results of the Reverse Clinical Engineering^® test procedure will tell you and your oncologist which drugs are likely to be effective on your individual tumor. These additional insights increase the chance of receiving effective drug therapy right from the start and avoiding ineffective therapies along with potential side effects.