CHICAGO: New studies showed on Saturday that using a patient’s individual tumor biomarkers to determine the best treatment can improve success rates. Unlike chemotherapy and radiation therapy, targeted medicine allows to preserve healthy cells. This approach, especially immunotherapy, which boosts the immune system to destroy tumor cells is revolutionizing oncology, according to the study released at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). Scientists hailed “encouraging” preliminary results of a Phase 2 clinical trial detailed at the world’s largest conference on cancer meeting this weekend in Chicago. Of the 129 participants, 29 patients with a total 12 kinds of advanced cancers responded well to molecules that have not been approved for treatment of these tumors by the Food and Drug Administration. Promising responses observed in four cancer types, including carrier-specific molecular alterations, have already helped widen the cohort of patients participating in this clinical trial, the researchers said. Senior investigator at Sarah Cannon Research Institute in Nashville and lead study author John Hainsworth said, “With genomic testing of tumors becoming increasingly available, studies such as ours will help more patients benefit from precision medicine approaches”.