New, personalized therapies are being made available to local cancer patients based on individual genetic variations. The breakthrough comes as the most advanced genetic analysis technology is being applied in Hong Kong clinical practice.

Hong Kong Sanatorium Hospital, which claims to be at the forefront of advanced medical technology, has introduced two so-called "Next Generation" sequencing machines, the hospital's Medical Superintendent Walton Li announced on Tuesday.

Li said the Sanatorium and Hospital is the first in Hong Kong to use the highly accurate gene analysis technology.

Chris Wong, a physician at the hospital's Pathology Department has already started to use the machines for genetic screening for breast cancer. He described the new technology as "thousands of times faster" than conventional approaches.

The new machines are capable of analyzing samples that previously required four months, in only one and a half months, he said.

Treatments for cancer, genetic disorders, and infectious diseases are all expected to benefit from the new equipment.

The new technology provides a great deal more detailed gene information. That gives doctors the ability to tailor treatments for cancer patients, especially those suffering colorectal cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer and leukemia.

The hospital says gene mutations or abnormal sequences can be quickly identified, allowing doctors to identify all the possible medications, in order to treat patients strategically, saving time over conventional approaches which switch drugs repeatedly.

Wong cited the case of the late Apple CEO Steve Jobs, who had his cancer tumor and normal DNA sequenced in 2003 to treat pancreatic cancer.

"It definitely helped. He lasted for eight years after that. Usually pancreatic cancer patients can't (survive that long)," Wong said.

Doctors expect the high efficiency of the new technology will bring down prices, although the hospital has not provided a price list.

Clinical microbiologist Bone Tang Siu-fai estimated the introduction of the two new machines would lower the cost for gene analysis at the hospital by about 10 percent.

Wong said breast cancer analysis now costs about HK$2,500. He expects prices will go down further, once the new machines have been running for a time.

Gene analysis for lung cancer now costs HK$3,000 and HK$1,500 for Leukemia, said Edmond Ma, Director of Clinical Pathology and Molecular Pathology at the hospital. He cited Jobs's case, adding the cost for the same analysis has already fallen to $15,000 now from $100,000 at the time Jobs underwent the procedure.

Ma predicted that the gene analysis service will be in great demand among patients.

guojiaxue@chinadailyhk.com

China Daily

(HK Edition 11/09/2011 page1)