Personalized Onco-Genomics program at BC Cancer
The Personalized Onco-Genomics (POG) program at the BC Cancer Agency is a clinical research program bringing genomic sequencing directly into patient care for those with incurable cancers. POG was launched in 2012, and more than 170 patients have taken part to date.
Oncologists and scientists at the BC Cancer Agency work collaboratively on POG to sequence the patient’s tumor and healthy DNA, compare the results, determine what’s biologically driving the patient’s cancer, and identify potential treatments. The program is a leading clinical research initiative with genomic science informing chemotherapy decision making in the routine clinical care of patients with metastatic cancers.
Each patient taking part in POG is in a personalized clinical trial where science is translating into care and providing research data that may benefit other cancer patients in BC and around the world.
The POG program was in the news recently when it identified a novel treatment option for a patient with advanced cancer. The genomic sequencing of Ms Trish Keating’s aggressive colorectal cancer identified a unique protein function at play. This critical detail pointed to an unusual treatment option, which dramatically reduced her cancer to barely detectable in just weeks.
The POG program is funded entirely by the BC Cancer Foundation. The Foundation’s 2014 Inspiration Gala raised over $5 million in support of POG, and the Foundation has committed $12.5 million to fund POG, which will see over 300 patients enter the program.