From the FAQ:
PATIENT FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
PERSONALIZED TUMORGRAFT IMPLANTATION PROGRAM
What is a Personalized Tumorgraft?
A Personalized Tumorgraft is Champions’ proprietary method of implanting a fragment of a patient's live tumor directly into a mouse (known as a Personalized Tumorgraft) and its subsequent growth and propagation as whole tissue fragments into additional mice to preserve the biological, and heritable, characteristics of the original tumor.
How can a Personalized Tumorgraft help my physician and I?
Personalized Tumorgrafts drug studies have demonstrated to be predictive of a patient’s clinical response to treatment; both in terms of resistance and sensitivity to treatment drugs. Personalized Tumorgrafts provide a breakthrough, unique method to evaluate how various anti-cancer drugs and other agents will work on the patient’s tumor growing in a mouse prior to using these treatments in the patient. It serves as a proxy, of sorts, for testing the efficacy of various treatments on a patient’s living tumor. Since the Personalized Tumorgraft preserves the biological characteristics of the patient’s tumor, the response of the tumor growing in the mouse has demonstrated to be predictive of the response of the tumor in the patient. By utilizing the Personalized Tumorgraft program, the treatment selected for the patient by his/her physician is more likely to be successful and it may spare the patient from multiple unsuccessful treatments.
Is the Personalized Tumorgraft program like a clinical trial?
No. A Personalized Tumorgraft represents cutting edge medicine. However, it is like an individualized, personal clinical trial customized for an individual patient. The added value of the Personalized Tumorgraft is that a patient can also contribute to the knowledge gained from clinical trials without actually participating in clinical trials, simply by providing their tumor tissue. A number of special studies can be performed on a surrogate for the person's tumor rather than on the person themselves, regardless of eligibility requirements for clinical trials. And, since Personalized Tumorgrafts are banked as living samples for future testing, the patient may have the benefit of additional testing opportunities when future drug discoveries are made.
What types of cancer have been implanted as part of the Champions Personalized Tumorgraft program?
The following cancer types have been implanted using the Champions Personalized Tumorgraft program: Pancreas, Sarcoma, Melanoma, Liver, Lung, Breast, Colon and other rare tumor types.
How are the clients who’ve chosen to get the Personalized Tumorgraft doing?
All of Champions’ clients have experienced improved outcomes subsequent to choosing our personalized cancer treatment options.
How do you get the patient’s live tumor for the implantation?
At Champions we say, “don’t go to surgery without us”. When the patient has surgery to remove or biopsy the tumor, with the patient’s consent, a portion of the tumor is collected for the Personalized Tumorgraft implant program. The ideal time to decide to have a Personalized Tumorgraft is prior to the patient’s surgery. Collecting your tumor tissue at the time of surgery preserves your options. You can choose to proceed with the Personalized Tumorgraft testing program at a later date, or you may donate your tissue for research.
Subsequent surgery may present another opportunity to obtain a tumor specimen. However, there is no way to predict if that would be required or possible. Time is of the essence and it is best to begin development of the Personalized Tumorgraft as soon as possible.
What risk is a patient taking when they have surgery for the sole purpose of obtaining tumor tissue for a Personalized Tumorgraft implantation?
Any surgical procedure must be considered along with the risks and benefits. This matter should be thoroughly discussed with the patient’s physician and surgeon and their recommendations should be followed.
Will Champions pay for a patient’s surgery?
No. The patient is responsible for all costs related to the surgery.
Does Champions determine and design the patient’s personalized study protocol?
Champions performs molecular testing on the Personalized Tumorgraft to assist in determining the optimal treatment drugs to evaluate; Champions’ works with the patient’s physician to design the studies. Based on the genetic and biologic characteristics of the patient’s tumor and other factors, the patient’s physician, in consultation with Champions’ experts, identifies the most appropriate drugs and combinations of drugs to evaluate.
What is the time frame for the Personalized Tumorgrafts program?
After the implantation of the patient’s live tumor has occurred, it typically takes about 4-8 months for the tumor to grow and propagate into an adequate number of mice for the drug evaluations. Each patient’s tumor is unique and tumors differ in their growth rates. Thereafter, it typically takes another six weeks to provide a final report on the drug study evaluations.
Is Champions conducting clinical trials to validate the predictive nature of its Personalized Tumorgrafts?
There are 10 published studies that support the close correlation between the patient’s tumor and the patient’s Personalized Tumorgraft; these studies also demonstrate the predictive capability of the Personalized Tumorgraft test results. Champions is currently drafting an additional publication based on the demonstrated success of past Personalized Tumorgrafts and Champions is currently conducting additional pre-clinical trial studies. Importantly, some of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies are now using Champions’ Personalized Tumorgraft technology to predict and design human clinical trials.
How many Personalized Tumorgraft studies have been performed?
To date, studies have been completed by Champions, its collaborators and academic researchers in more than 25 clients, and there are other studies in progress.
What is molecular/genetic testing?
Molecular/genetic testing is the process of analyzing the genetic makeup of a patient (DNA, RNA, chromosomes, certain metabolites and proteins) to detect disease-related information (genotypes, mutations, phenotypes, or karyotypes) for clinical purposes. Genetic testing may enhance the diagnosis and the assessment of which specific, conventional therapies or novel therapeutic approaches may be optimal for your specific cancer treatment.
PERSONALIZED VACCINE
What is a Personalized Vaccine?
Utilizing the Champions Personalized Tumorgraft ™, a therapeutic cancer vaccine may be developed from your tumor to provide the most personalized cancer treatment available. The tumor cells from the Personalized Tumorgraft (cells from the patient’s tumor) are genetically modified, then used to stimulate a patient's immune system to recognize and attack the patient’s cancer cells. As part of combination therapy, a Personalized Vaccine has demonstrated the potential to be a curative cancer treatment option.
How do cancer treatment vaccines work?
(reference: National Cancer Institute)
Therapeutic cancer vaccines are designed to treat cancers that have already occurred. They are intended to delay or stop cancer cell growth; cause tumor shrinkage; prevent cancer from coming back; or eliminate cancer cells that are not killed by other forms of treatment, such as surgery, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy.
Developing effective therapeutic cancer vaccines requires a detailed understanding of how immune system cells and cancer cells interact. The immune system often does not “see” cancer cells as dangerous or foreign, as it generally does with microbes. Therefore, the immune system does not mount a strong attack against the cancer cells.
There are many reasons the immune system does not easily recognize the threat posed by an already growing cancer. Most important is the fact that cancer cells carry normal self-antigens in addition to any cancer-associated antigens. Furthermore, cancer cells sometimes undergo genetic changes that lead to the loss of cancer-associated antigens. Finally, cancer cells can produce chemical messages that suppress specific anticancer immune responses by killer T cells. As a result, even when the immune system recognizes a growing cancer as a threat, the cancer may still escape a strong attack by the immune system
What is the benefit of a Personalized Vaccine?
The Personalized Vaccine helps offer the patient the most personalized cancer treatment available, one that may optimize the patient’s potential for a positive outcome.
How many Personalized Vaccines have been developed?
The development of therapeutic cancer vaccines is a new, cutting edge treatment option for cancer patients. As such, Champions has two Personalized Vaccines in development with extensive expansion of the program planned in 2009.
PERSONALIZED ONCOLOGY PANEL
What is a Personalized Oncology Panel?
A Personalized Oncology Panel is a program that assembles world renowned medical experts from each of the disciplines that may be critical to a cancer patient’s treatment to assist the patient’s physician in determining the optimal personalized treatment options. This group meets in-person, and telephonically, to review the details of a patient’s case and makes consensus recommendations to the patient’s physician. The panel maximizes the options available to the cancer patient’s treating physician and help s improves the physician’s ability to evaluate the world’s most recent advancements and opinions to obtain the most successful treatment possible.
How many Personalized Oncology Panels have been conducted?
To date, Champions has conducted 14 Personalized Oncology Panels.
What is molecular/genetic testing?
Molecular/genetic testing is the process of analyzing the genetic makeup of a patient (DNA, RNA, chromosomes, certain metabolites and proteins) to detect disease-related information (genotypes, mutations, phenotypes, or karyotypes) for clinical purposes. Genetic testing may enhance the diagnosis and the assessment of which specific, conventional therapies or novel therapeutic approaches may be optimal for your specific cancer treatment.
GENERAL QUESTIONS
Why should I choose Champions?
Because every cancer is unique, Champions offers an individualized approach to cancer treatment – one that, in partnership with your physician, may optimize your treatment plan’s potential for success while maximizing your most precious resource - time. Simply put, this means if therapeutic success is not achieved initially, Champions’ services may provide more time for new drugs and treatments to develop for the benefit of you and your family. And, sometimes, more time can make all the difference.
How will Champions services benefit me?
Champions is expanding the frontiers of cancer therapy by providing access to unparalleled personalized treatment options for physicians and their patients. Champions provides services to physicians through real-time access to cutting edge medicine, including landmark research, advanced testing of cancer tissues and respected insight into novel therapeutics and promising cancer treatments based on the very unique genetic characteristics of each patient’s own cancer.
What are the qualifications of the Champions experts?
Champions’ medical leaders are among the world’s most respected scientists in the field of cancer research. To view their biographies, please visit the “About Us” section of this website.
Is Champions affiliated with any cancer centers?
Champions works with experts from many leading cancer centers and has collaborations in place with some of the world’s leading cancer centers and institutions as well as pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
Why should I use Champions’ services rather than seeking opinions from the world’s leading cancer expert/center for an opinion?
Champions encourages patients and their families/friends to obtain as many opinions as they feel necessary. However, there are many leading experts and institutions for a given disease. Furthermore, leading experts may provide conflicting advice regarding the specific recommendations for an individual’s cancer treatment. The real advantage, and essence, of Champions’ Personalized Oncology Panel, is that it gathers the world’s experts in a round-table forum where the options are debated until the Panel provides your physician with a consensus treatment recommendation for your specific cancer that is designed to optimize your outcome.
I value my local physician. How will I interact with the Champions physicians?
Champions provides services to your physician to bring him/her cutting edge access to medical and research information and therapeutic options that are customized to your particular disease. Champions does not provide any medical service or care and is not responsible for any medical care or treatment. Your physician is solely responsible for your medical treatment and care.
Does Champions provide direct patient care?
No. Champions does not provide any medical service or care and is not responsible for any medical care or treatment. Your physician(s) is (are) solely responsible for your medical treatment and care. Champions’ offers your physician real-time access to the latest advancements in personalized cancer research. Your medical team will consider the information provided by Champions and make the decision on which treatment strategy to implement and provide the direct care.
Are Champions’ services covered by insurance?
No. Champions’ provides personalized cancer treatment options tailored to your specific tumor. In order to provide you these cutting-edge services, at this time, Champions’ services are not limited by insurance reimbursement.
If you have a question or need additional information, please contact us at
Hope@PersonalizedCancerTreatment.com
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