UCLA finds new treatment option for lung cancer patients
It is safe to say that many of us fear hearing the word ‘cancer.’ But, with the continued evolution of cancer research, we have begun to see many breakthroughs in cancer treatment and detection methods. One such example is Dr. David Wong’s, Associate Dean of Research and his team’s, at WorldCare Consortium® medical second opinion (MSO) provider UCLA Health, new liquid biopsy technology. This new technology, which recently received regulatory approval, can detect early forms of lung cancer and is called electric field-induced release and measurement (EFIRM). So what exactly is EFIRM and what makes it so revolutionary?
EFIRM is a non-invasive procedure that provides a safe, reliable, novel and impactful method to detect tumor-causing lung cancer mutations in the salvia and blood. This method can catch early signs of cancer and it helps assist the doctor in adjusting therapeutic strategies as well as improving clinical outcomes.
With efforts from the National Cancer Institute Dr. Wong and fellow researchers were given a $2.5M grant in 2017, which allowed them to successfully move the testing phase faster. The treatment was approved to be used in medical offices. Another $5M grant from the National Cancer Institute was made in October 2018 to be used over a duration of five years. This was used to continue the efforts of developing and refining the technology. After testing it on 300 lung cancer patients, it showed that it was essential in the early detection of cancer. So much so, that greater than 90 percent of patients were able to be tested for early stages of lung cancer, comparable to traditional tissues biopsies. In an effort to promote these findings, Dr. Wong was invited to speak at the April 2, 2019 NCI-sponsored session at the annual meeting for the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). During his presentation he discussed the importance of liquid biopsies to hundreds of cancer researchers.
There is still a long-way to go but the positive steps and impact of this technology and other research is bringing us that much closer to early detection and possible cures. If you have been diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer or believe your doctor may have missed such an important diagnosis, contact us today for a medical second opinion.