Precision medicine treatment may lengthen survival for patients with refractory cancer without increasing healthcare costs, suggests a new study by Intermountain Precision Genomics.
The study, published in the Journal of Oncology Practice, examined 72 patients with metastatic cancer of diverse subtypes in the setting of a large, integrated healthcare delivery system. Researchers analyzed the outcomes of 36 patients who received genomic testing and targeted therapy (precision cancer medicine) between July 1, 2013, and January 31, 2015, compared with 36 control patients who received standard chemotherapy or best supportive care.
The study found that the average progression-free survival was 22.9 weeks for the precision medicine group and 12 weeks for the control group.
Additionally, researchers said, survival rates were not associated with increased medical costs: In an analysis of patients who received all care within the Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Healthcare system, patient charges were $4,665/survival week in the precision treatment group compared to $5,000/survival week in the control group.
"These results underscore the value of precision medicine to patients today," Lincoln Nadauld, MD, medical director of Intermountain Precision Genomics, said in a statement. "Measurable results are rare for this field, but we can build off of these findings in order to help more patients. A genomics-based approach appears to be a viable, and perhaps superior, option for patients with advanced or metastatic cancer."