Researchers at Stellenbosch University’s Cancer Research Group are examining whether tailored cancer treatment plans can provide doctors with better guidance to improve medical care for cancer patients.
The project has been approved by the university’s ethics committee following rigorous regulatory requirements, researchers are utilizing precision medicine to refine how existing cancer treatment methods, including chemotherapy, are utilized for individual patients.
PhD students Atarah Rass and Claudia Christowitz are investigating different aspects of the research project. Rass is studying a specific patient’s genetic makeup to identify which genes contribute to chemotherapy resistance. The aim is to mitigate or intervene in the resistance, making chemotherapy more effective.
Christowitz is studying the clinical significance of rare variants and screening for the BRCA or breast cancer gene, which can help identify patients who are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer.
Patients undergoing cancer treatment at Tygerberg Hospital have given their consent for the research team to use their tissue and blood samples for the study.
The research project’s goal is to establish a framework for screening and intervention that can help doctors provide tailored cancer treatment plans for individual patients, leading to better medical care for cancer patients.