Does anyone have experience with private genetic testing companies?

Discussion Board Forums General Discussion Does anyone have experience with private genetic testing companies?

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  • #91765
    marions
    Moderator

    Catherine….good question; I will investigate further.
    Hugs
    Marion

    #91764
    middlesister1
    Moderator

    Marion-
    Just to expand on what you said- when we did not know what type of primary cancer Dad had, I received below:

    Thank you for your interest in our Guardant360 test. I am sorry to hear about your father. Unfortunately our test does not diagnose the cancer type, however depending on the findings, it could help his oncologist determine best course of treatment without the biopsy. You should have received an automated email with our patient brochure. I would suggest discussing the option with his oncologist and see if they are willing to order it for him. Feel free to have the office reach out to us if they have any questions.

    Best regards,
    Kim Hallam
    Client Services Supervisor
    Ph: (855) 698-8887

    In our experience, they were wonderful in getting the kit for blood draw and mailing to Mom’s ONC. However, I wonder if for some of the clinical trials that require specific mutations if they would accept the genetic info from the liquid biopsy ( I hope so).

    Catherine

    #91763
    marions
    Moderator

    maria….I further investigated and have been informed that Liquid Biopsy is not diagnostic for any particular cancer. It does however play a role in those cases where tissue biopsy is insufficient or non-existent.
    Hugs,
    Marion

    #91762
    marions
    Moderator

    maria….it so happened that I spoke with an expert regarding liquid biopsy and the current use in diagnoses for cholangiocarcinoma. He mentioned that due to tumor location deep within the liver as much as half of all CCA patient are ineligible for biopsy. For cases such as your Mom’s, a liquid biopsy may prove to be a valuable option.
    It appears that your Mom’s blood test can be ordered by her physician and then be mailed to their facility in California.
    https://www.guardanthealth.com/patients/#how-it-works
    Hugs
    Marion

    #91761
    middlesister1
    Moderator

    Maria,

    My mother had the workup done by Guardant. However, by the time the blood was drawn, she had only “dead” tumor so I’m not sure how accurate it was. Also, we did not look over results to look for actionable markers.

    However, I will say that the company was very willing to reach out to Mom’s doctor. They were also very responsive by phone and email. And, they had been willing to accept whatever insurance paid as cost- I’m not sure if they’re still doing it.

    https://www.guardanthealth.com/

    Best wishes,
    Catherine

    #91760
    marions
    Moderator

    maria….Certain fragments of DNA are found in the bloodstream. Where and how it is applicable for cancer treatment is still under investigation.
    Obtaining tumor tissue often times presents a challenging for our patients. Ideally tissue is removed during surgery, but in many instances a separate biopsy must be performed.
    Mutation profiling for cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer) molecular aberrations most likely is conducted by the three labs mentioned by you.
    Hugs,
    Marion

    #12227
    mariajgb
    Spectator

    I’m just wondering if anyone has had genomic testing done with any of the private companies that offer it? We live in Alaska, where no hospitals offer it, so our only option to test for mutations is to go with a private company, and I’m not sure who to choose. It’s not like there’s a yelp for it or anything :) I’ve only been able to identify Foundation One, Pathway Genomics and Personal Genome Diagnostics. Are there others? I’m also really interested in liquid biopsies, since my mom’s tumors are in a difficult to biopsy place– does anyone know anything about them? It seems very new, and Personal Genome Diagnostics isn’t even offering it yet (but will be soon). Would love to hear from anyone with experience!

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