Gene Profiles Guide Treatment for Unknown Cancer

Researchers tested a new way to treat cancer when doctors don't know where it started. Some patients got a drug chosen because of the unique genes in their tumor. Others received more rounds of standard chemotherapy. All of them had already completed three rounds of chemo and saw their cancer stop growing for a while.

After more than a year of follow-up, the group with gene-matched treatment went longer without their cancer getting worse. On average, they lived about six months without disease progression, compared to just over four months for the chemo group. The risk of the disease worsening was roughly 25 percent lower for those who got the gene-guided approach.

How long people survived also favored the gene-matched group. They lived on average fifteen months, while the other group lived just over twelve months. The gap wasn't large enough to be sure it wasn't just luck, but the pattern was consistent. Scientists say looking at a tumor's DNA early could change treatment choices down the road.

No new safety concerns were spotted. The gene-based method didn't bring extra risks, and it gave patients a bit more time before their cancer returned. Experts hope this data will encourage more hospitals to run genetic tests right after diagnosis, not just when other options run out.