Personalized cancer therapies are out there, but they're not always easy to find

"There has been a revolution in oncology in the past decade. It has translated into a much different way to approach cancer," says Dr. Roy S. Herbst, chief of the section of thoracic medical oncology at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. "But there needs to be an information database for patients. People need to know, how do you get it?"

Part of the problem is that the trend toward personalized medicine -- which often requires more knowledge on the part of the doctor and more time spent with patients -- is occurring at a time when the doctor-patient relationship is perhaps the least personal it has ever been.

"It is hard for physicians to keep up completely," says Dr. Robert Figlin, director of the Comprehensive Cancer Center at City of Hope in Duarte. "Consumers need to be aware of that."

But there are an increasing number of ways for patients to educate themselves and improve their chances of receiving personalized care. Several nationwide efforts are underway to broaden public access to personalized medicine. A project conceived at the National Cancer Institute was launched last month to unite patients, doctors, insurers, researchers, drug companies, investors and others interested in personalized healthcare. Called the BIG Health Consortium (BIG stands for biomedical informatics grid), the network will foster collaboration and the dissemination of new information on personalized therapies. The consortium will present a series of models on the site to demonstrate new approaches for linking scientific discoveries with patient care.

Specific efforts to educate patients with a particular type of cancer are also emerging. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality announced a project last month that will help doctors and patients better use genetic information and tools to evaluate and treat breast cancer. The project will feature various computer programs that take a patient's information and match the patient to tests and therapies that can help him or her.