Leveraging Veterans Health Administration Clinical and Research Resources to Accelerate Discovery and Testing in
Julie N Graff1, Grant D Huang1
1is Section Chief of Hematology/Oncology at VA Portland Health Care System in Oregon. is Acting Deputy Chief Research and Development - Enterprise Optimization and Director, Cooperative Studies Program in the Office of Research and Development, Veterans Health Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, DC. Julie Graff is also an Associate Professor of Medicine at Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland.
Objective:
The promise of precision oncology, which is the ability to choose a treatment specific to the characteristics of the tumor, has arrived. There are targeted therapies based on tumor mutations in multiple cancer types, both approved and in development. The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has embraced precision oncology for the treatment of patients with prostate cancer.
Observations:
This article focuses on the efforts to bring precision oncology treatments and trials to veterans with prostate cancer through the Precision Oncology Program for Cancer of Prostate (POPCaP) Centers of Excellence (COE) and the clinical trials consortium inside POPCaP, Prostate Cancer Analysis for Therapy CHoice (PATCH). Through POPCaP, VA has analyzed hundreds of prostate cancer tumors to identify mutations and develop treatment plans for veterans with prostate cancer. PATCH will leverage the genetic data and prostate cancer expertise of POPCaP COEs to develop clinical trials for veterans that take a precision oncology approach to care.
Conclusions:
With its extensive resources and capabilities, VA has the ability to advance a precision oncology agenda that provides veterans with the highest standard of care. It has built upon many key elements in clinical, technological and scientific fields of study that would challenge most other health care systems given the extensive costs involved.
Insights
The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is advancing precision oncology for prostate cancer. The Precision Oncology Program for Cancer of Prostate (POPCaP) identifies mutations to tailor treatments and develop targeted clinical trials for veterans.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Genomics
- Clinical Trials
Background:
- Precision oncology offers tailored cancer treatments based on tumor-specific mutations.
- The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is implementing precision oncology for prostate cancer patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To detail the VA's initiatives in precision oncology for veterans with prostate cancer.
- To highlight the role of the Precision Oncology Program for Cancer of Prostate (POPCaP) and its clinical trials consortium, Prostate Cancer Analysis for Therapy CHoice (PATCH).
Main Methods:
- Analysis of hundreds of prostate cancer tumors through POPCaP to identify mutations.
- Development of treatment plans for veterans based on identified genetic alterations.
- Leveraging genetic data and expertise from POPCaP Centers of Excellence (COE) to design precision oncology clinical trials via PATCH.
Main Results:
- POPCaP has analyzed numerous prostate cancer tumors, identifying key mutations.
- Treatment plans are being developed for veterans based on individual tumor genetic profiles.
- PATCH is establishing clinical trials focused on a precision oncology approach for veterans.
Conclusions:
- The VA possesses the resources and capabilities to lead in precision oncology for veterans.
- The program integrates clinical, technological, and scientific advancements to provide high-standard care.
- These efforts represent a significant investment challenging for other healthcare systems.
More Related Videos
12:13Sequencing Small Non-coding RNA from Formalin-fixed Tissues and Serum-derived Exosomes from Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer Patients
Published on: November 19, 2019
05:32Multimodal Bioluminescent and Positronic-emission Tomography/Computational Tomography Imaging of Multiple Myeloma Bone Marrow Xenografts in NOG Mice
Published on: January 7, 2019