Holli Dilks, PhD, director, Personalized Medicine Operations, Sarah Cannon Research Institute, discusses the challenges associated with having a precision medicine-based approach in the field of oncology.

One of the major challenges oncologists face is tissue availability in the field, Dilks explains. An exciting area of research that is aiming to guide this solution is liquid biopsies. Another obstacle is the ability to conduct a biopsy at the right time; tissue that is relevant to a patient's tumor is important.

Cost is an ongoing factor in precision medicine and the ability to afford such testing and personalized therapies is key, Dilks says. Additionally, resistance mutations that arise from targeted therapies is an issue that needs to be addressed.

Finally, education on the various alternations and how they can impact an individual patient's tumor is necessary, she adds.

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Challenges With a Precision Medicine-Based Approach in Oncology

Holli Dilks, PhD, Director, Personalized Medicine Operations Sarah Cannon Research Institute, discusses molecular profiling.

Clinical trial eligibility is often dependent on molecular status, but determining which patients should undergo molecular profiling and when can be challenging, said Dilks.

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) offers guideline that can help oncologists determine at which stage of disease patients should be profiled.

Reaching out to pharmaceutical partners to find out the eligibility criteria for patients to enroll can also help oncologists determine when molecular profiling is necessary.

Holli Dilks, PhD

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Challenges With a Precision Medicine-Based Approach in Oncology

Holli Dilks on Molecular Profiling