Survey: Genetic Tumor Typing

Testing
They had to do microgenetic testing on my tumor because it was an adenocarcinoma and I had a previous history of breast adenocarcinoma. When they did the genetic testing though, I wasn't stage 4 breast cancer. Instead I was stage 1 lung cancer. Go figure! The chemos are totally different and I was glad they checked. Otherwise, I would have gone through chemo for no good reason.

Testing
They had to do microgenetic testing on my tumor because it was an adenocarcinoma and I had a previous history of breast adenocarcinoma. When they did the genetic testing though, I wasn't stage 4 breast cancer. Instead I was stage 1 lung cancer. Go figure! The chemos are totally different and I was glad they checked. Otherwise, I would have gone through chemo for no good reason.

gkukurin said:

Thanks Cabbott
My father-in-law has recently DX'd with Stage IV NSCLC. I had never heard of genetic typing. His oncologist never mentioned it. After consulting with a number of other oncologists, the subject was mentioned. I was curious how often (or not) this type of tumor typing is recommend BEFORE a specific treatment is instituted???

Anyone else care to comment?

TY

G

Another kind of typing
Sometimes a particular treatment will only work on certain genetic types. I have a friend with lung cancer that is inoperable. Before they started her on a particular chemo, they did some genetic typing to make sure her kind of lung cancer would respond to it. She did not tell me the details, but I know of others that had that kind of testing. It is becoming more common in other kinds of cancer too. Before you get tamoxifen for breast cancer now my insurance company requires genetic typing to make sure you are a "responder". Otherwise they will pay for medicine that will do no good.

I would be interested in knowing what kind of testing is recommended for your father-in-law to make sure he is a "responder".