Molecular tests should have an absolute place in cancer treatment

SHAFAQNA TURKEY-prof. Dr. Ahmet Dirikan drew attention to the importance of genetic and molecular tests in cancer treatment in his statement on the occasion of World Cancer Day on 4 February: “Genomic profiling tests are being used in individualized cancer treatment. These tests are mainly studied on biopsies taken from cancerous tissue. Molecular tests should have an absolute place in cancer treatment.

Cancer continues to be an important public health problem because of the health problems it causes and the material and moral damage it causes to patients and their families. When evaluating official data from the Ministry of Health, it is estimated that approximately 96,200 men and 67,200 women were diagnosed with cancer during the year.

Stating that cancer is the second leading cause of death in the world after cardiovascular disease, Dirikan said: “Cancer has a major impact on individuals, communities and health systems around the world. In 2018, the global burden of cancer was responsible for approximately 18.1 million cases and 9.6 million deaths. According to the Ministry of Health, the most common oncological diseases in men in our country are lung and prostate cancer, and in women – breast cancer. Colon (colorectal) cancer is the third most common type of cancer in both men and women. Among childhood cancers, leukemia is the most common type of cancer.

Stating that World Cancer Day is an international day celebrated on February 4 to facilitate the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and to raise awareness about cancer, Dirikan said: “World Cancer Day is celebrated in support of the goals of the World Declaration on Cancer written in 2008.

The main goal of World Cancer Day is to significantly reduce cancer incidence and mortality. Cancer in general; It is caused by factors such as tobacco use, being overweight, a diet poor in fruits and vegetables, lack of physical activity, alcohol use, and genetic transmission. However, it is known that in modern conditions about 30-50% of cancer cases can be prevented by avoiding risk factors and applying existing evidence-based prevention strategies; It is also known that many types of cancer are more likely to be cured if diagnosed early and treated appropriately.

Providing information on the latest developments in the field of cancer treatment, Dirikan said: “Because cancer is a genetic disease, we operate by mapping cancer genetically in cancer treatment. With the development of these tests beyond classical chemotherapy, we offer personalized treatment rather than organ-oriented treatment. Success rates are much higher than conventional chemotherapy. Genomic profiling tests are used in individual cancer treatment. These tests are mainly studied on biopsies taken from cancerous tissue. If a tissue biopsy cannot be performed, it can also be done by separating and analyzing tumor DNA fragments from the blood. If our genetic code is individual, then cancer treatment must be individual. For this reason, molecular tests should have an absolute place in cancer treatment.