Single-testing method to detect cancerous tumour introduced

The Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre (RGCI and RC) will now use a single testing method for cancer detection, which would provide genomic information on a patient's tumour within 10 days.
The new technology, Multigene Tumour Profile (MTP) will help detect the genetic alteration driving the growth of tumour and prescribe a targeted course of treatment and medicine for cancer patients.
"Unlike the sequential testing methods for a single genetic alteration done for the most common mutation, MTP test requires less time, is determinative and can provide all genomic information. The test will also yield results within ten days as opposed to the sequential testing methods which require more than three weeks," Chief of Pathology at RGCI Dr Anurag Mehta said.

According to the RGCI and RC officials, MTP has been administered on five cancer patients so far in the capital and has an average survival rate of eleven months as opposed to 5.7 months in patients administered with radiation and chemotherapy.
"MTP can help find out all possible mutations. Commonly there are eight genes and 69 mutations but then there are exceptional cases. The test can be extended to any tumour type unlike chemotherapy which is a general treatment given to all cancer patients," Mehta added.