The future of chemotherapy is changing

Professor Jennifer Martin has been researching into personalised chemotherapy dosing for some time.

Now Professor Martin and her team are moving into the trial stage of their research. The dosing study known as the PREDICT (Pathway of Research to Evaluation of Dose-Individualised Cancer Therapy) Program uses new technology to find the ideal chemotherapy dosage for individual patients.

With the development of a simple finger prick test that can be done at home, patients will be able to collect and send their blood samples to be analysed at frequent intervals, resulting in closer monitoring.

Support from Cancer Council NSW allows this important research to continue and I am grateful to the donors for providing support. Their important contribution towards exploring the feasibility on the patient experience of a useable, everyday clinical tool, may help to expand the finger prick testing into everyday practice.

Based on best available evidence, current chemotherapy dosing is imprecise and not personalised. It is estimated that 20-30% of chemotherapy patients will receive a dose that is too high for them, and 20-30% will receive a dose lower than what is needed for optimal effectiveness.

In addition to finding the best dose for patients, another challenge is to ensure all cancer patients have access to this personalised chemotherapy treatment, especially those in rural and remote areas.

Several oncologists and hospitals are excited to be involved in this new trial, and will soon be inviting their patients, via their clinicians, to be involved.

Professor Martin’s study is at the forefront of personalised chemotherapy dosing research and will change the way oncologists monitor their patients’ treatment.

Find out more about current research.