4 TYPES OF GENETIC TESTING
ADVANCED APPLICATIONS FROM AN INTEGRATIVE PRACTICE
by: Dr. Jesse Stoff
As an integrative medical practice, we pursue the philosophy of implementing the best of all worlds. We have the options of prescribing herbal medicines, nutraceuticals, homeopathic, and pharmaceuticals to find the things that'll be most effective and least toxic. In the case of blood & genetic testing, we have these four options that are dedicated to different focuses available to us. They enable a treatment strategy that's individually focused on the abnormalities that that person has. Having these resources available to us allows for a very personalized approach based upon the patient's individual genetic alterations and biochemical alterations.
1) LIQUID BIOPSY is a blood test from somebody who's already suffering from cancer that can detect all four classes of genomic alterations- then point us in the direction of a more effective treatment strategy. This form of genetic testing uses FoundationOne™ - validated to detect all classes of genomic alterations in more than 300 cancer-related genes, including select introns from more than 25 genes often rearranged or altered in solid tumors.
FoundationOne is a validated comprehensive genomic profile (CGP) for solid tumors. The test is designed to provide physicians with clinically actionable information to guide treatment decisions for patients based on the genomic profile of their disease. Test results provide information about clinically significant alterations, potential targeted therapies, available clinical trials, and quantitative markers of response for immunotherapy.
2) IVYGENE test: The 2nd testing in DNA and blood to identify any cancer presence from a lab is called IvyGene-- similar to a lipid biopsy in terms of the technology, next-gen technology & next-gen sequencing. Unlike FoundationOne, this test is for people who don't have cancer because it takes on average 10 years for cancer to go from a few cancer cells into a destructive tumor. And during that 10 year period of time these abnormal cells are firing off pieces of genetic material into the blood stream as these cells die. And die they do because cancer cells are genetically unstable. That's part of the definition of cancer. The problem is the multiply faster than they die. So, that's how you get in trouble. As the cells die, they release material into the bloodstream that the IvyGene test is designed to pick up and act as an early warning where something is starting to grow someplace you need to pay attention to.
The IvyGene test is a blood test able to detect and measure DNA methylation patterns that are consistent with actual cancer presence. A highly accurate and sensitive test, the IvyGene test is a non-invasive tool to aid physicians in identifying cancer presence. Methylation is a normal process, however cancer causes significant changes in gene expression, resulting in hypermethylation at specific target sites. The DNA from these sites is shed into the blood. The IvyGene test measures the methylation status of cell-free DNA extracted from blood samples and provides an IvyGene Score. An IvyGene Score of 19 and below is considered normal. An IvyGene Score of 20 or greater is considered elevated.
3) SOMATIC BLOOD TEST: This could be done on white blood cells from the inside of the cheek. Somatic gene testing is from a lab that you may have heard of on TV called "23andMe". You get certain information in terms of risk factors for certain kinds of diseases and also certain amount of quasi-scientific information about genetic heritage.
In our experience, another lab that performs more effective testing in a more focused way is called GenPath- a lab that we frequently order somatic genetics from. For our purposes, what they're looking for is genetic alterations that increase their risk for getting cancer. Most people have heard about BRCA one and BRCA two for breast cancer, but there's 30 other genes that they look for.
Another form of somatic genetic blood testing focuses on how well people metabolize certain pharmaceuticals. Psychiatrists for example use this test to see which drugs might be more effective for patients who are suffering from anxiety, depression versus other drugs. There's also genetics looking for how well people may respond to drugs like statins for cholesterol. So, this whole area of somatic genetic testing is done on people who don't have cancer, but you're trying to find out something about their genetics that may help you from a preventive or therapeutic point of view with other kinds of diseases.
4) CARIS LIFE SCIENCES: The fourth kind of genetic testing that we do is done on cancer tumors itself and the lab that does this is Caris Life Sciences. With Caris, the way that works is that they get a piece of the actual tumor from the patient who's had surgery or a biopsy. They'll do a genetic analysis and from that I'll get a 15 page report identifying the entire genetic structure of the cancer, in other words what genes are distorted that make this cell cancerous. From there, it gives me potentially therapeutic points of entry into being able to stop this cancer.
ADAPT Biotargeting System™ is a proprietary, minimally invasive platform that uses a broad library of synthetically manufactured molecules that bind to biological targets and characterize complex biological systems in their native state(s). A New Platform for Rx and Dx Development. Proprietary, highly multiplexed technology to characterize complex biological systems in their native state(s) and to identify novel diagnostic and therapeutic targets Minimally invasive “liquid biopsy” to diagnose complex conditions, monitor disease progression and assess therapeutic response Platform for exploration of polyligands as a direct therapeutic moiety.
by: Dr. Jesse Stoff
1) LIQUID BIOPSY is a blood test from somebody who's already suffering from cancer that can detect all four classes of genomic alterations- then point us in the direction of a more effective treatment strategy. This form of genetic testing uses FoundationOne™ - validated to detect all classes of genomic alterations in more than 300 cancer-related genes, including select introns from more than 25 genes often rearranged or altered in solid tumors.
FoundationOne is a validated comprehensive genomic profile (CGP) for solid tumors. The test is designed to provide physicians with clinically actionable information to guide treatment decisions for patients based on the genomic profile of their disease. Test results provide information about clinically significant alterations, potential targeted therapies, available clinical trials, and quantitative markers of response for immunotherapy.
2) IVYGENE test: The 2nd testing in DNA and blood to identify any cancer presence from a lab is called IvyGene-- similar to a lipid biopsy in terms of the technology, next-gen technology & next-gen sequencing. Unlike FoundationOne, this test is for people who don't have cancer because it takes on average 10 years for cancer to go from a few cancer cells into a destructive tumor. And during that 10 year period of time these abnormal cells are firing off pieces of genetic material into the blood stream as these cells die. And die they do because cancer cells are genetically unstable. That's part of the definition of cancer. The problem is the multiply faster than they die. So, that's how you get in trouble. As the cells die, they release material into the bloodstream that the IvyGene test is designed to pick up and act as an early warning where something is starting to grow someplace you need to pay attention to.
The IvyGene test is a blood test able to detect and measure DNA methylation patterns that are consistent with actual cancer presence. A highly accurate and sensitive test, the IvyGene test is a non-invasive tool to aid physicians in identifying cancer presence. Methylation is a normal process, however cancer causes significant changes in gene expression, resulting in hypermethylation at specific target sites. The DNA from these sites is shed into the blood. The IvyGene test measures the methylation status of cell-free DNA extracted from blood samples and provides an IvyGene Score. An IvyGene Score of 19 and below is considered normal. An IvyGene Score of 20 or greater is considered elevated.
3) SOMATIC BLOOD TEST: This could be done on white blood cells from the inside of the cheek. Somatic gene testing is from a lab that you may have heard of on TV called "23andMe". You get certain information in terms of risk factors for certain kinds of diseases and also certain amount of quasi-scientific information about genetic heritage.
In our experience, another lab that performs more effective testing in a more focused way is called GenPath- a lab that we frequently order somatic genetics from. For our purposes, what they're looking for is genetic alterations that increase their risk for getting cancer. Most people have heard about BRCA one and BRCA two for breast cancer, but there's 30 other genes that they look for.
Another form of somatic genetic blood testing focuses on how well people metabolize certain pharmaceuticals. Psychiatrists for example use this test to see which drugs might be more effective for patients who are suffering from anxiety, depression versus other drugs. There's also genetics looking for how well people may respond to drugs like statins for cholesterol. So, this whole area of somatic genetic testing is done on people who don't have cancer, but you're trying to find out something about their genetics that may help you from a preventive or therapeutic point of view with other kinds of diseases.
4) CARIS LIFE SCIENCES: The fourth kind of genetic testing that we do is done on cancer tumors itself and the lab that does this is Caris Life Sciences. With Caris, the way that works is that they get a piece of the actual tumor from the patient who's had surgery or a biopsy. They'll do a genetic analysis and from that I'll get a 15 page report identifying the entire genetic structure of the cancer, in other words what genes are distorted that make this cell cancerous. From there, it gives me potentially therapeutic points of entry into being able to stop this cancer.
ADAPT Biotargeting System™ is a proprietary, minimally invasive platform that uses a broad library of synthetically manufactured molecules that bind to biological targets and characterize complex biological systems in their native state(s). A New Platform for Rx and Dx Development. Proprietary, highly multiplexed technology to characterize complex biological systems in their native state(s) and to identify novel diagnostic and therapeutic targets Minimally invasive “liquid biopsy” to diagnose complex conditions, monitor disease progression and assess therapeutic response Platform for exploration of polyligands as a direct therapeutic moiety.
