Every patient’s cancer is unique. That means your cancer treatment should be, too. At St. Elizabeth Healthcare, we’re committed to delivering the personalized care you need.
To provide the most accurate risk assessment to developing cancer and the most effective treatments with the fewest side effects if you develop cancer, we rely on precision medicine to create your care plan. This innovative approach examines your genetic makeup, lifestyle behaviors and environment. We use this information to identify the right strategies for you.
“At St. Elizabeth, we don’t view cancer care as a ‘one-size-fits-all’ endeavor,” says Jaime Grund, MS, LGC, Director of Precision Medicine. “We gather knowledge through genetic testing and conversations about your personal and family medical history. This helps us better understand your cancer, the best ways to prevent it and the best ways to fight it.”
How Precision Medicine Works
Your precision medicine journey starts with genetic testing. This analysis uses a blood or saliva sample to examine your DNA. It looks for any genetic variations that can impact your risk for developing certain conditions or change how you respond to medications and treatments.
We combine these test results with the effects of your lifestyle behaviors (like smoking and diet) and environmental exposures (like air pollution). Then we create your customized cancer prevention plan. In addition to inherited cancers, we also design personalized treatment plans for heart and neurological conditions.
Alongside risk assessment and cancer prevention, your care team ensures you receive the most effective therapies if cancer is diagnosed. Our genetic counselors, doctors and pharmacists take a team-based approach to designing your precision medicine care plan. They each play a specific role in maximizing your treatment plan’s success:
- Genetic counselors interpret and explain your genetic testing results.
- Doctors use that information and your health history to deliver the most accurate diagnosis and recommend targeted treatment options.
- Pharmacists ensure any medication you receive is safe and effective based on your specific health needs.
Why Precision Medicine Is Important for Patients
“Precision medicine is the driving force behind breakthroughs in diagnostics and therapy options for cancer, rare diseases and chronic conditions. It’s an approach to medicine that empowers you,” Grund says.
“Precision medicine is a shift from being reactive to being proactive about your health. It stacks the deck in your favor,” she says. “When you have more details about your genetics and disease risk, you can make better-informed decisions about your care options. And, if you know you have a higher risk of developing a condition, you can take proactive steps to prevent it.”
Tailoring a treatment plan to your specific health needs offers these additional benefits:
- Better overall outcomes
- Fewer side effects
- More effective therapies
Who Benefits from Precision Medicine
We use precision medicine to help a wide range of patients. Our providers leverage this approach to treat:
- Cancer – Our doctors select targeted treatments that attack tumors based on their genetic code. We use your genetic testing results to select medications that strengthen your immune system’s ability to destroy cancer cells.
- Chronic conditions – With precision medicine, we can determine if you’re at risk of developing certain chronic conditions. That information helps us create a prevention plan or a personalized treatment plan if you already have symptoms.
- Rare diseases – Many rare conditions have a genetic component we can target with interventions or risk reduction.
If you have a family history of disease or are concerned about your risks, talk with your doctor. Together, you can decide if genetic testing is a good option for you.
Building Trust and Addressing Concerns
At St. Elizabeth, we have a trusted reputation for delivering outstanding patient outcomes through compassionate care. We’re elevating those long-term health outcomes with precision medicine and genetic testing. We understand you may have concerns about the privacy of your results or the cost of testing. And we take your worries seriously.
“We rely on strict safeguards and protocols to protect your genetic information,” Grund says. “We treat your genetic testing results and genetic counseling with the same respect we give your medical record.”
We also try to make genetic testing affordable. Our financial counselors can help you understand insurance coverage and out-of-pocket costs. Most patients can receive this testing for less than $100.
How to Get Started
If you have a health concern and think Precision Medicine and Genetic Testing at St. Elizabeth may be right for you, don’t delay. Talk with your doctor or email our team at askgenetics@stelizabeth.com. You can also call us at (859) 301-GENE (4363) to schedule an appointment or for additional information.
