“A single test is enough to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the entire DNA of the tumor,” explains Emile Voest, an internist-oncologist at Antoni van Leeuwenhoek. “We examine the mutations in DNA to find clues to the best possible treatments, including both existing treatments and the treatments of the future.” The test can currently only be requested for AVL patients with metastatic or suspected metastatic cancer who also have an indication for a broad molecular diagnostic procedure.
The comprehensive DNA test was developed together with the Hartwig Medical Foundation, whose goal is to ensure that every cancer patient receives the right and most effective treatment. The test has been performed on thousands of patients in recent years and provides more and better information than other tests used to date. “We are proud that, together with the Hartwig Medical Foundation, we have made the comprehensive DNA test ready for use in standard diagnostics,” says Gerrit Meijer, Principal Investigator at Antoni van Leeuwenhoek. “Moreover, the test produces important information for a continuously learning healthcare system, in which we will be able to treat future patients even more effectively.”
“We want to extract the maximum amount of information from the patient’s tumor,” explains Antoni van Leeuwenhoek pathologist Kim Monkhorst.“This test is the best available tool for that. We only need one tissue sample with sufficient tumor cells. Because we literally analyze the entire genome, including parts of the DNA that show mutations of which we don’t yet know the importance, this test is always up to date and future-proof. This means that new discoveries can also lead to potential new treatments for patients who were tested in the past.”
Our research has proven that it is workable in practice and that it is of great importance to our patients. We are gaining valuable information about patients and expect to be able to target treatments more effectively in the near future. We are also building a database from which we will learn even more about cancer