Matthew Webster and his partner are expecting their first child this month after his incredible recovery following precision oncology treatment.New cancer treatment methods that target a patient's genetic profile have been saving the lives of Australians and paving the way for groundbreaking new research. The new findings include the link between 12 different cancers inside the human genome that researchers hope will explain some of the key drivers of the disease.
Mr Webster was diagnosed with a rare cancer called Angiomatoid Fibrous Histiocytoma at the age of 24.He went through surgery, chemotherapy and other conventional treatments before he learned of the field of personalised or precision medicine, which uses an understanding of a person's DNA and genome to tailor treatments.
He says his organisation's groundbreaking work has been focused at offering genomic profiling to those with advanced and incurable stages of cancer, with the aim of figuring out targeted therapies. "When we do our screening today about a little over one in three of the cancer patients that we screen, we identify a target that could double their survival. So that gives you an idea about the potential impact 20 years ago that these treatments weren't available at all. And even five years ago, I was quoting a one in 20 chance of getting a benefit. I think we're seeing this field move forward very fast.
Meanwhile, new research into our DNA has revealed potential connections between a variety of cancers that could pave the way for therapies targeting all forms of the disease, of which there are more than 200 types. The pattern the team has identified may contribute to the formation and progression of at least 12 different cancers, including prostate, breast and colorectal.