In this Q&A, Dr. Kelm explains why functional cancer profiling has the potential to transform patient outcomes on a global scale.
Q. Can you explain what functional cancer profiling is and why it could represent a breakthrough moment for oncology?
A. Functional cancer profiling is an approach that directly measures how a patient's live tumour cells respond to a wide range of drugs and drug combinations in the laboratory. Instead of predicting treatment response based only on genetic or molecular markers, functional profiling evaluates the actual biological behaviour of the cancer — how it lives, grows, and reacts when exposed to therapy.
This is a significant shift from conventional genomic or molecular profiling. While genomic testing identifies mutations or biomarkers that might suggest sensitivity or resistance to a therapy, it cannot always predict how complex tumour ecosystems will respond in reality. Tumours are dynamic, heterogeneous systems influenced by both genetic and non-genetic factors, such as the tumour microenvironment and cell—cell interactions. Functional profiling captures all of these influences, producing a more comprehensive and clinically relevant view of drug sensitivity.
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