Precisely what the patient needs

Anish Ray, M.D., leads Cook Children's new Precision Medicine Program

New program helps improve outcomes and quality of life for patients with cancer

“The goal is to overcome the hurdle of stepping into the unknown. At the time we went to school, the standard of care looked different. We must continue to embrace the latest therapeutic options to elevate the standard of care for our patients. The possibilities of precision medicine are endless.” – Anish Ray, M.D.

At Cook Children’s, we promise to improve the health of every child through the prevention and treatment of diseases like cancer. According to Anish Ray, M.D., medical director of the Precision Medicine Program and Internal Review Board chair, the one-size-fits-all era of medicine is gone. That’s where the Precision Medicine Program comes in.

Through the use of molecular profiling, next-generation sequencing (NGS) and pharmacogenomics, the Precision Medicine Program identifies treatment options that are tailored precisely to each child’s needs and the cancer’s genetic composition. Once the Precision Medicine team learns the unique genetic signature of a patient’s tumor, they generate a treatment plan to treat the patient with the fewest side effects possible.

The program was created to support our patients’ growing needs. As technological and scientific advances continue to become an integral part of care for oncology patients, Cook Children’s recognized that creating a specialized team was of utmost importance to take advantage of an ever complex world of tumor genomics. Now, we are on the precipice of cutting-edge therapy.

Throughout this journey, the Precision Medicine team goal has remained to offer our children and their families the best patient care with the most up-to-date treatments right here in North Texas.

Our first pharmacogenomic patient consult was a child whose parents reached out and said, “I need someone to listen to me. My child is not reacting to medication the way that you would expect. Is there anyone who can help us?” Heidi Trinkman, PharmD, an integral member of the Precision Medicine team, and Dr. Ray answered that plea.

Cancer treatment can take a toll on a patient’s body, but targeted therapy preferentially treats tumors while sparing healthy organs, on both a short-term and long-term basis. It also lessens the negative impact of toxic chemotherapies and radiation, and lowers the overall cost of health care for patient families.

Dr. Ray and his team are seeing tremendous results with the use of precision medicine.

“Infantile fibrosarcoma is a disease that typically affects infants and has been considered a dreaded malignant cancer that requires intensive treatment with chemotherapy, radiation and morbid surgery to provide a positive outcome,” Dr. Ray said. “Needless to say that this treatment comes with significant adverse effects. However, improved understanding of tumor biology has helped us identify unique genetic markers that can be targeted with oral medicines that come with few side effects, if any. Precision medicine can seem like a miracle. It has led to a discovery of a revolutionizing treatment for these children.”

“The goal is to overcome the hurdle of stepping into the unknown,” Dr. Ray said. “At the time we went to school, the standard of care looked different. We must continue to embrace the latest therapeutic options to elevate the standard of care for our patients. The possibilities of precision medicine are endless.”