Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Big Data research includes sarcoma

By Suzie Siegel

Dr. Bill Dalton is betting on Big Data.

In 2006, when he was CEO of the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, he led the development of the Total Cancer Care Protocol and M2Gen, a for-profit subsidiary.

As part of Total Cancer Care, more than 140,000 patients — including 3,392 with sarcoma — have given permission to have their blood and tissue samples stored and analyzed at Moffitt and to be followed throughout their lives. This produces huge amounts of data that researchers and M2Gen can analyze further.

“We have one of the oldest and largest databases of its kind, especially in molecular genomics,” said Dr. Dalton, MD, PhD, now executive chair of M2Gen, a health-informatics company. “We are continually updating patients’ data to try and learn from each patient’s experience.”

Researchers group patients' de-identified data by their similarities, and then break out the groups with more and more similarities. For example, they might start with patients whose cancers had NTRK gene mutations, and then create a subset that have Ras mutations, too. Because some patients may have the same genetic mutations, patients with different kinds of cancer might be able to take the same drug.

Sarcoma is rare, and doctors often struggle to enroll enough patients in the clinical trials needed to gain FDA approval of a new drug. We may benefit from trials that enroll patients with different cancers who have the same mutations. Targeting these mutations in a person’s cancer is called precision or personalized medicine.

In sarcoma, the first targeted treatment was imatinib (Gleevec) for gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), which often shares the same mutation as chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). The FDA approved imatinib for CML in 2001 and GIST patients followed soon after.

In the past, GIST had often been classified as gastrointestinal leiomyosarcoma (GI LMS). Although my LMS was vaginal, I was checked for the mutation when I was diagnosed in 2002, just in case. My first sarcoma oncologist, Dr. Andy Burgess, now retired from MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, told me that imatinib for GIST was the best thing that had ever happened to him in his life.

One of Dr. Dalton’s sons was diagnosed with GIST last year and is doing well on imatinib. “I’m becoming a student again,” Dr. Dalton said, as he learns more about sarcoma. As a physician, he treated patients with multiple myeloma.

My tour to learn more about Total Cancer Care began at Moffitt, where I peered into the pathology lab near the operating rooms. If possible, a diagnosis is made while the patient is in surgery to help the surgeon know how to proceed. With sarcoma, for example, surgeons try to take some normal tissue around the tumor — just in case some microscopic cancer cells have spread that far. In ovarian cancer, surgeons often take much more.

Tissue donated for research is snap-frozen, usually with liquid nitrogen. When tissue is needed for patient care, hospitals store tissue in wax, technically called formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue blocks, said Michelle Fournier, manager of Moffitt’s central biorepository (also known as a tissue bank).

“But that isn’t the best for genomic sequencing,” she said. Ten years ago, Moffitt couldn’t extract good quality genetic information from paraffin blocks, but it now has the technology, Dr. Dalton noted. This matters because Moffitt often receives FFPE samples from other hospitals when patients seek second opinions.

If a patient may benefit from genomic testing, most Moffitt doctors use FoundationOne, Fournier said, which is not always covered by insurance. She said Moffitt wants to create its own genomic-testing lab.

Samples of blood and other bodily fluids are also important parts of Total Cancer Care, she said. Like their colleagues elsewhere, Moffitt researchers hope to develop technology to allow the use of liquid biopsies. Drawing blood for a biopsy would be easier on patients than minor surgery to remove tissue.

Genesis Blanco, left, and Michelle Fournier, right
“I have a lot of patients who say they came to Moffitt because of the research,” said Genesis Blanco, a Total Cancer Care research coordinator.

Total Cancer Care draws from electronic medical records (EMR) created by clinic staff, as well as results of surveys from patients. This two-part system helps ensure accuracy, Dr. Dalton said. “I’d sometimes trust patient-reported outcomes for such things as patient’s pain over EMR.”

M2Gen, built on 30 acres near the main Moffitt campus, promotes research using the Total Cancer Care data. The data are de-identified so that researchers don’t know who the patients are. M2Gen partners with five pharmaceutical and biotech companies, which provide funding for further analysis of the data.

M2Gen also looks into the future. Researchers use statistical algorithms to predict how someone’s cancer might change if it spreads and what treatment options might be available.

In 2014, Moffitt and the Ohio State Comprehensive Cancer Center in Columbus, cofounded the nonprofit ORIEN (Oncology Research Information Exchange Network). M2Gen manages the network.  Seventeen cancer centers participate.

"We’ll be up in Canada next month, and then in Europe,” seeking more partners, Dr. Dalton said.

M2Gen is leading the Avatar Research project within ORIEN that does whole exome sequencing, which looks at the part of DNA that encodes protein, as well as RNA sequencing on tissues collected as part of TCC. Dr. Dalton would like to create a portal so that patients could learn how their donations of tissue and data are advancing research.

ORIEN is using resources on a focused group of Total Cancer Care tissues. “For Avatar we’re looking at a subset of high-risk patients who may be in need of clinical trials,” explained Erin Siegel, MPH, PhD, Scientific Director of TCC.

In this Avatar Research project, researchers in and outside of the ORIEN network can ask to use the data for specific projects. For example, Dr. Damon Reed is looking at teenagers and young adults up to age 40. Dr. Reed, MD, is director of the Adolescent and Young Adult Program at Moffitt and medical director of its Sarcoma Department. Working with Dr. Reed, Moffitt will include over 250 sarcoma tumors in the Avatar project.

"We need champions in this research, like Damon,” Dr. Dalton said.


17 comments:

stella said...

NoahData specializes in Big Data services and various Big Data technologies like Hadoop, HBase, Hive, Map Reduce, Pig, No-SQL, Couch Base and more to implement strategic Big Data solutions and services.

nikitha val said...


goog blog!

very useful
Big Data Analytics trainings in Vijayawada

Ruby said...

I was very interested in the article , it’s quite inspiring I should admit. I like visiting your site since I always come across interesting articles like this one. Keep sharing! Regards. Read more about Big Data services

Ruby said...

I was very interested in the article, it’s quite inspiring I should admit. I like visiting your site since I always come across interesting articles like this one. Keep sharing! Regards. Read more about Big data Services
Big data Company

Priyank said...

Your blog is very useful, Thank you for sharing with us.

robert mary said...



WHAT A GREAT MIRACLE THAT I HAVE EVER SEE IN MY LIFE. My names are Robert Mary
I’m a citizen of United Kingdom, My younger sister was Sick of
breast cancer and her name is Robert Jane, I and my family have taking
her to all kind of hospital in UK still yet no good result. I decided
to go to the internet and search for cancer cure so that was how I
find a lady called Sarah peter she was testifies to the world about
the goodness of a herbal man who has the root and half to cure all
kind of disease and the herbal email was there. So I decided to
contact the herbal man for my younger sister help to cure her breast
cancer. I contacted him and told him my problem he told me that I
should not worry that my sister cancer will be cure, he told me that
there is a medicine that he is going to give me that I will cook it
and give it to my sister to drink for one week, so I ask how can I
receive the cure that I am in UK, he told me
That I will pay for the delivery service. The courier service can
transport it to me so he told me the amount I will pay, so my dad paid
for the delivery fee. two days later I receive the cure from the
courier service so I used it as the herbal man instructed me to,
before the week complete my sister cancer was healed and it was like a
dream to me not knowing that it was physical I and my family were very
happy about the miracle of Doctor so my dad wanted to pay him 5
million us dollars the herbal man did not accept the offer from my dad,but I don't know why he did not accept the offer,he only said
I should tell the world about him and his miracle he perform so am now
here to tell the world about him if you or your relative is having any
kind of disease that you can't get from the hospital please contact
Dr.ogididanspelltemple@gmail.com or WhatsApp +2347067393105,message him on instragram dr.ogididanspelltemple for the cure, he will help you out
with any problems you have.To get more information you can message me via email robertmary8947@gmail.com

Clara david said...

WHAT A GREAT MIRACLE THAT I HAVE EVER SEE IN MY LIFE. My names are Clara David I’m a citizen of USA, My younger sister was sicking of
breast cancer and her name is Sandra David I and my family have taking her
to all kind of hospital in USA still yet no good result. I decided to go to
the internet and search for cancer cure so that was how I find a lady
called peter Lizzy she was testifies to the world about the goodness of a
herbal man who has the root and half to cure all kind of disease and the
herbal man email was there. So I decided to contact the herbal man for my
younger sister help to cure her breast cancer. I contacted him and told him
my problem he told me that I should not worry that my sister cancer will be
cure, he told me that there is a medicine that he is going to give me that
I will cook it and give it to my sister to drink for one week, so I ask how
can I receive the cure that I am in USA, he told me

That I will pay for the delivery service. The courier service can
transport it to me so he told me the amount I will pay, so my dad paid for
the delivery fee. two days later I receive the cure from the courier
service so I used it as the herbal man instructed me to, before the week
complete my sister cancer was healed and it was like a dream to me not
knowing that it was physical I and my family were very happy about the
miracle of Doctor so my dad wanted to pay him 5 million us dollars the
herbal man did not accept the offer from my dad, but I don't know why he
didn't accept the offer, he only say that I should tell the world about him
and his miracle he perform so am now here to tell the world about him if
you or your relative is having any kind of disease that you can't get from
the hospital please contact dr.sakuraspellalter@gmail.com/ you can also visit his website drsakuraherbs.blogspot.com or whats app him
+2348110114739 you can follow him up on Instagram herbalist sakura for the cure, he will help you out with the
problem. And if you need more information about the doctor you can mail me
davidclara223@gmail.com

PAUL said...

ALL THANKS TO DR WILLIAMS WITH HIS HERB MY WIFE WAS COMPLETELY CURED FROM MYELOMA
Is my pleasure to comment on this site and i thank the admin of this site for his/her great work so far.one of the happiest moment in my life was when the doctor confirm that my wife is been free from this illness. this awesome moments makes me the happiest man on earth, I really don't know how to thank DR WILLIAMS for helping my wife get cured for over how many year of suffering from myeloma. i came across DR Williams contact through a headline news on internet about how DR Williams help a woman to get cured of her myeloma and so many other with similar body problem ,i contacted him and he told me how to get his herb,few day later he sent me the herbal portion which my wife take every morning for 28 days, and his medicine was able to cure her completely from myeloma. and now she very mush okay without any side effects whatsoever, If you have myeloma , you can contact him on his email address drwilliams098675@gmail.com for advice and for his product.

FAST LOAN OFFER whats-App +918929509036 said...

Hello Everybody,
My name is Mrs Sharon Sim. I live in Singapore and i am a happy woman today? and i told my self that any lender that rescue my family from our poor situation, i will refer any person that is looking for loan to him, he gave me happiness to me and my family, i was in need of a loan of $250,000.00 to start my life all over as i am a single mother with 3 kids I met this honest and GOD fearing man loan lender that help me with a loan of $250,000.00 SG. Dollar, he is a GOD fearing man, if you are in need of loan and you will pay back the loan please contact him tell him that is Mrs Sharon, that refer you to him. contact Dr Purva Pius,via email:(urgentloan22@gmail.com) Thank you.

JESSICA said...

ALL THANKS TO DR WILLIAMS
I was diagnosed of myeloma in 2011, I have tried all possible means to get cure but all my effort proved abortive, until a friend of mine introduced me to a herbal doctor , who prepare herbal medicine to cure different kind of diseases including myeloma , when i contacted this herbal doctor via his email, he sent me the myeloma herbal medicine via courier service, when i received the herbal medicine he gave me step by step instructions on how to apply it, when i applied it as instructed by Dr Williams i was totally cured from this disease within 1 months of usage. any body with similar problem can Contact this great herbal doctor via his email drwilliams098675@gmail.com for advice and for his product,and thanks to you admin for such an informative blog.

Paula Mastop Bentes said...


Attention!!!

Do you have a bad credit?
Do you need money to pay bills?
Do you need to start up a new business?
Do you have unfinished project at hand due to bad financing?
Do you need money to invest in some area of specialization which will profit you? and you don’t know what to do.

we render all kinds of loan in good services, contact us via email: inforamzanloan@gmail.com
Thanks
Mr . Anthony Noto

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful and wonderful testimony, sometimes things you don't believe can just happen. My name is Adams Vera, from U.S.A am 28 years old i got married at the age of 24 i have only one child and i was living happily. After three years of my marriage my husband behavior became so strange and i don't really understand what was going on, he packed out of the house to another woman i love him so much that i never dreamed of losing him, i try my possible best to make sure that my husband get back to me but all to no avail i cry and i cry seeking for help because i was heart broken until i coincidentally came across an online spell caster called Dr. Osasu , i contacted him and explained to him what i have been going through in my marriage and he gave me the full assurance that my husband will come back to me and my marriage will be restored, He told me what to do to get my husband back and i did, he said after 3days my husband will come back to me and start begging, it really happen it was so surprising and everything was just like a miracle, ever since my family have been living with so much happiness and our relationship was now very tight because of this great and powerful spell caster.he is a very great and powerful spell caster that can be trusted and there is nothing concerning life issues he cannot solve because i am a living testimony. i know there are so many people out there who are going through similar problems in one way or the other, believe me this is the right spell caster to contact and all your problems will be forgotten. contact Dr. Osasu viaWhatsapp: +2347064365391 Email:Account drosasu25@gmail.com

Sharon Wayne said...

I want to thank Dr Emu a very powerful spell caster who help me to bring my husband back to me, few month ago i have a serious problem with my husband, to the extend that he left the house, and he started dating another woman and he stayed with the woman, i tried all i can to bring him back, but all my effort was useless until the day my friend came to my house and i told her every thing that had happened between me and my husband, then she told me of a powerful spell caster who help her when she was in the same problem I then contact Dr Emu and told him every thing and he told me not to worry my self again that my husband will come back to me after he has cast a spell on him, i thought it was a joke, after he had finish casting the spell, he told me that he had just finish casting the spell, to my greatest surprise within 48 hours, my husband really came back begging me to forgive him, if you need his help you can contact him with via email: Emutemple@gmail.com or add him up on his whatsapp +2347012841542 is willing to help any body that need his help.

DEBY FINANCING LOANS COMPANY said...


Do you need a quick long or short term loan with a relatively low interest rate as low as 3%? We offer business loan, personal loan, home loan, auto loan, student loan, debt consolidation loan e.t.c. no matter your credit score. We are guaranteed in giving out financial services to our numerous clients all over the world. With our flexible lending packages, loans can be processed and transferred to the borrower within the shortest time possible. We encourage you to contact us and learn more about the loans service we offered. If you have any questions or want more information about our company, please do not hesitate to contact us: debyfinancingloans@gmail.com Whats-App contact number +918375004762

LOAN APPLICATION FORM
1) Full Name:
2) Gender:
3) Loan Amount Needed:.
4) Loan Duration:
5) Country:
6) Home Address:
7) Mobile Number:
8) Monthly Income:
9) Occupation:

C.E.O. Deby Johnson.
debyfinancingloans@gmail.com
Whatsapp Number: +447459797459
Whatsapp Number: +918375004762
DEBY FINANCING LOANS COMPANY

Tamara Barrow said...

I have been suffering from (HERPES SIMPLEX VIRUS) disease for the past four years and had constant pain. During the first year, I had faith in God that i would be healed someday.This disease started circulating all over my body and i have been taking treatment from my doctor, few weeks ago i came on search on the internet if i could get any information concerning the prevention of this disease, on my search i saw a testimony of someone who has been healed from Herpes Simplex Virus by this by Dr voodoo and she also gave the email address of this man and advise anyone to contact him for any kind of problem that he would be of help, so i wrote to Dr voodoo telling him about my (Herpes Virus) he told me not to worry that i was going to be cured!! Though i never believed it,, well after all the procedures and remedy given to me by this man few weeks later i started experiencing changes all over me as the Dr voodoo assured me, after some time i went to my doctor for test and it confirmed that i have be finally healed behold it was TRUE, So friends if anyone have such problem and need help contact Dr voodoo on his email: voodoospelltemple66@gmail.com Add Dr voodoo on whatsApp +2348140120719

Tamara Barrow said...

There is a great herbal man called Dr voodoo who can cure Hepatitis B virus and other deadly diseases with the use of natural herbs to cure Hepatitis B virus problems. He is from Africa and he is a great doctor and he can also cure you as well if you are have the problem And other deadly disease and here is email address voodoospelltemple66@gmail.com or Whatsapp +2348140120719 HERPES CURE,CANCER CURE,HIV/AIDS CURE,HPV CURE

Anonymous said...

شركة مكافحة حشرات بالقطيف
شركة مكافحة حشرات بعرعر
شركة مكافحة حشرات بالنعيرية
شركة مكافحة حشرات بالاحساء
شركة مكافحة حشرات بسكاكة
شركة مكافحة حشرات بالدمام
شركة مكافحة حشرات بالخبر
شركة مكافحة حشرات بينبع