ASCO, Author Interviews, Cancer Research, Chemotherapy, Genetic Research / 03.06.2015
Myriad Presents Data on Expanded Cancer Genetics and Chemotherapy Susceptibility Testing
MedicalResearch.com spoke with
Dr. Johnathan Lancaster, MD, Ph.D. at the 2015 ASCO meeting in Chicago.
Dr. Lancaster is the new Vice President of Medical Affairs for Oncology, Myriad Genetic Laboratories, at Myriad. Dr. Lancaster jointed Myriad in February 2015 after twelve years at the Moffitt Cancer Center. Prior to Moffitt, Dr. Lancaster was medical director of the Gynecologic Dysplasia Clinic at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC, where he also completed his residency and fellowship training.
MedicalResearch.com: Can you tell us a little more about your background? How did you come to work at Myriad?
Dr. Lancaster: My background and interests lie at the intersection of patient care and the molecular and genetic understanding of cancer. I completed my MD and Ph.D. in molecular genetics at the University of Wales, and then came to Duke for a research fellowship and residency training in Obstetrics & Gynecology. I spent twelve years as a gynecology-oncology surgeon.
At the Moffitt Cancer Center, I ran a research lab attempting to understand the molecular and genetic underpinnings of ovarian cancer development and progression. Our translation research attempted to identify markers, or microRNAs, that help predict ovarian tumors’ response to chemotherapeutic agents.
I also have experience in the management and financial issues facing medicine and health care. While at Moffitt, I was president of the 350-member Moffitt Medical Group, deputy physician-in-chief and director of the Center for Women's Oncology.
The opportunity at Myriad Genetics allows me to utilize my experience in all three interests, clinical care, research and management, to contribute to a broader mission of cancer treatment and prevention.
MedicalResearch.com: What studies are being presented at ASCO this year by Myriad associated researchers?
Dr. Lancaster: There are 19 abstracts presented by Myriad at ASCO 2015, which is a testament to the emphasis Myriad places on basic and translational research (Myriad reinvests $300-400 of the proceeds from every clinical test performed into research). The studies center around two main themes:
1: An enhanced panel of genes, called MyRisk, to test for increased risk of hereditary cancers.
2: The use of Homologous Recombination Deficiency (HRD) testing and score, called MyChoice, which helps clinicians determine which patients may respond best to some chemotherapeutic agents.
MedicalResearch.com: What does the MyRisk panel offer over and above the information learned from BRAC1/2 testing? Why should a patient or clinician want this testing performed?
Dr. Lancaster: The MyRisk panel tests for 25 state-of-the-art genes with the goal of determining who may be at increased risk for certain malignancies even if they are BRAC1/2 negative. The typical patient is one who has a family history of cancer but may have been told she doesn’t have the ‘breast cancer gene’ because she is BRAC1/2 negative. We now know that up to 50% of these patients may carry other genes that make them more susceptible to cancer. Panel testing allows clinicians to identify many more patients at risk for cancer who would have been missed with more traditional BRAC1/2 testing alone.
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