The world needs more Geneticists
/Study Finds Shortage of Medical Geneticists
Genomics plays an increasingly important role in how we treat cancer. Genomic analyses can tell us who is at highest risk of developing cancer as well as how to treat someone’s cancer in the most precise and effective way possible. “Targeted drugs for cancer happen in 2 different ways,” says Michael Watson, PhD, founder and executive director of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, Bethesda, Maryland. “Some drugs are molecularly targeted, so knowing the specific tumor genetics allows you to identify the best drug for the tumor. But there is also germline pharmacogenetics — someone can have a gene in their own DNA that alters how they will metabolize various drugs.” Understanding and interpreting these genetic differences factor into an oncologist’s decision regarding the best therapeutic approach to pursue.
But oncologists aren’t always trained in the newest genomic tests and technologies, which change rapidly as science in this area continues to advance at a dizzying pace. They often rely on collaboration with medical geneticists, who may work in the laboratories that run somatic cancer testing as well as serve patients clinically themselves, particularly by treating patients who may have a known genetic risk for cancer, such as disruptions in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes. Access to these specialist physicians will be a crucial component of cancer care in the future.
