canadians can take control of their health-care journey through genomic testing
“the more people understand and request genomic testing, the sooner the canadian health-care system will adapt,” says dr. anmol kapoor, ceo of bioaro
4 minute read
genomics can tell us whether individuals are at risk for certain cancers and diseases, says cardiologist dr. anmol kapoor.
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bioaro
this story was created by content works, postmedia’s commercial content division, on behalf of a client.
“we’re on the cusp of a change,” says dr. anmol kapoor. “and we’ve got to decide how we want health care to be provided — reactively or proactively.”
dr. kapoor, cardiologist and ceo of bioaro, a canadian biotech company, believes a significant flaw of the current health-care system is that it’s reactive. “a patient must present with symptoms before anything is looked into,” he explains. “the right markers have to be checked for anything to be found. then, their test results have to be suitably abnormal. the best-case scenario is a diagnosis that precedes a string of available treatment options.”
the issue with that approach, dr. kapoor points out, is that many diseases aren’t symptomatic until they’re much more advanced. health-care providers can’t possibly give every patient every test under the sun “just in case,” he says, as resources simply won’t allow it. “we’re not advancing medicine by continuing to take this reactive approach.”
what will advance medicine, says dr. kapoor, is genetic analysis.
while it’s easy to get genetics and genomics mixed up, the two have very different meanings. dr. kapoor explains it using a hockey analogy: “genetics is concerned with looking at and analyzing one or several specific genes, which is akin to following your favourite hockey player through a league. you cheer them on as they rise through ranks: similar to passing on dna from one generation to another.
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“genomics, on the other hand, is making sure the entire hockey team is being looked after. how can all of the players come together to win the league? not only does your favourite player have weaknesses that others can offset, but we also have to take into account their environment. which coaches, physiotherapists, trainers, doctors, and nutritionists do they interact with? do they have a positive or negative influence on the team’s success? do their shoes and gear fit optimally?”
bioaro has been at the forefront of harnessing the human genome to help canadians tap into the vast learnings it has to offer. “genomics is exciting because it gives us access to answers we wouldn’t otherwise have,” dr. kapoor says. “for example, why do some people get addicted to alcohol when others don’t? traditional medicine cannot answer this question, but genomic sequencing can. it can also tell you if you’re predisposed to diseases such as breast cancer or cardiac disease. imagine knowing in advance, so you can act on a disease before symptoms start to show.”
“if we took action earlier, we could save many lives.” – dr. kapoor
before specific dna sequences are investigated, genes are considered in the context of all other genetic, biological, and environmental influences around them. in this way, genomics offers an array of exciting and innovative enhancements to traditional health care.
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instead of a disease-focused model, genomics testing offers us a proactive approach to health care — one that not only helps predict and prevent illness but also allows for personalized treatment plans. “if you’re trying to solve a problem with your health care, you have to start with genomics, your basis of dna, which is who you are. health decisions should be based on you — not on a one-glove-fits-all approach,” says dr. kapoor.
a great example of the preventative power of genomics is with cancer diagnosis and treatment. “if an mri/ct scan discovers abnormal tissue in the lung, we don’t know if it’s cancerous or not,” explains dr. kapoor. “under the current system, we ask the patient if they’re a smoker. if yes, they get a follow-up scan in a year. if no, they are classified as ‘low risk’ and sent home. but that patient is still worried. genomics can tell us whether they are at risk of getting lung cancer at that time, so we know who to follow.”
dr. kapoor says newborn screening for genetic disorders represents the most critical genomic application in public health. he believes an increase in population screening is necessary for inherited conditions. “this will lead to a significant increase in early identification of individuals with hereditary cancers — breast cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer and lynch syndrome, for example,” he says. “genomics testing also helps to predict the risk in relatives of affected individuals in the family.”
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genomic testing also gives doctors the ability to prescribe medications they know are more likely to be safe and effective for an individual, then monitor their effectiveness. this can take the guesswork out of what could be multiple prescriptions, and care plans. health care can be customized to suit a patient’s unique set of risk factors to give them the best chance of recovery.
“the more people understand and request genomic testing,” says dr. kapoor, “the sooner the canadian health-care system will adapt. the key to better health care is in your genes.”
to learn more about how genomics testing could help you discover more about yourself and a proactive health-care plan, visit bioaro.com.
this story was created by content works, healthing.ca’s commercial content division, on behalf of bioaro.
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