Mission in a Minute

World Ovarian Cancer Day, annually observed on May 8, raises awareness about ovarian cancer and the ways we can support those fighting this deadly disease.

Ovarian cancer ranks fifth in cancer deaths among women.

Deepening our knowledge of cancer is critical to learning how to more efficiently treat the disease, and Thermo Fisher’s Oncomine™ BRCA Research Assay is being leveraged by scientists worldwide to uncover new data that could serve as the basis for the next generation of targeted therapies. Currently, this assay is used in clinical research of ovarian, breast, pancreatic and prostate cancer.

Historically, cancer treatment followed a one-size-fits-all model, where therapies were selected based on the cancer type alone.

As our understanding of cancer biology has grown, therapy decisions are now increasingly based on specific genetic alterations present in an individual’s cancer genome. Clinicians can prescribe drugs that directly target the biological pathways causing the disease, while avoiding sub-optimal therapies.

This individualized approach to cancer care is called “precision oncology.” Using a molecular profile of a patient’s cancer, treatment plans can be uniquely tailored to help provide the best potential outcome.