Medicine that is tailored to each patient’s genetic makeup is the future of cancer care. In some cases, it is already making a big difference in the ways patients are treated. Learn about these cutting edge treatments and about emerging findings that will be important for future diagnoses and treatments of colorectal cancer. Discussion led by Carolyn Grande, CRNP, AOCNP.

Clarient Inc. announced the launch of a commercially available test for the BRAF mutation in colorectal cancer.  The test detects mutations in colorectal cancer tumor tissue.

In a recent study, patients with mutated BRAF did not respond to treatment with two drugs that block epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR) — Erbitux® (cetuximab) and Vectibix™ (panitumumab).  Patients in the study all had normal, wild-type KRAS, another mutation that blocks response to Erbitux and Vectibix. Read the rest of this entry »