In this episode, we discuss: 0:00:08 - Alex’s background in applying engineering to problems in medicine 0:19:57 - A primer on human genetics, and the history and current landscape of DNA sequencing 0:24:05 - The advent and evolution of liquid biopsies for early detection of cancer 0:44:14 - The role of cell-free DNA in cancer detection: how incidental findings in non-invasive prenatal testing led to the development of liquid biopsies 0:51:05 - The development of a universal blood test for cancer detection and a discussion of specificity of tests 0:56:48 - Advancements in cell-free DNA analysis and development of a multi-cancer screening test at GRAIL 1:05:27 - DNA methylation explained 1:11:00 - Optimizing cancer detection with methylation analysis of cfDNA in small blood samples 1:17:22 - The importance of understanding sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value in cancer screening 1:32:57 - The performance of the GRAIL Galleri test and its ability to detect various types and stages of cancer 1:41:05 - Do early cancer detection methods, like liquid biopsies, translate to improvement in overall survival? 1:54:45 - The role of epigenetics in aging 2:01:58 - How cell-free DNA methylation patterns can help identify a cancer’s tissue of origin 2:09:48 - Cellular and epigenetic reprogramming and other exciting work in the field of aging
What a great, insightful episode right at the pulse of science! Listening to this, I can sense where cancer research and therapy in lockstep are moving. A big thanks to the host and his guest!
fantastic , this episode was amazing. i had a hard time studying all my life and did a small course in genomics, i pushed everything aside and got quite depressed but recently have gone back to my real passions and this episode bought me back to what i find fascinating. thank you so much for this episode. i was blown away you know these people!!
Thank you Peter and Alex. This was an excellent discussion. I see patients from Galleri trial as a Breast surgeon and this information was very helpful.
this was a better, more technical podcast than ones talking about new age mumbo self help jumbo about happienss or phsyiotherapists. Please more episodes like this.
Grateful. like always, for these vids. What a gift. How does a firm let these guys get away? My wife and I paid $199ea in late 2021 at Color genomics for mutations. We had no genetic risk (or any other) but my wife got cancer.
needs few times listening to better understand, dense and high quality science based with potential tremendous applications, well done. BTW would be nice if you can update with some studies links or citations
My question is: If this amount of brain power and money was spent on addressing the cause of cancer rather than treating it after it becomes a problem? Could it be, it’s the money?
Cancer is a consequence of being multicellular. It is inevitable. You can reduce risks, but can't eliminate it. But yes we should have tried to understand Basic physiology basic research of cancer instead of just focusing on treatment. But we finally beginning to understand more about cancer due to Genome sequencing etc.
The data (not bias or intuition) has shown that early detection has minimal if any effect on survival. The advances in cancer survival are NOT detection but much better and improved treatments. Considering that even the smallest detectable cancers have billions of cells they have already become blood-borne - we can never detect pre-metastatic cancers ....
@@Tyrantteemo Maybe way way- but almost by definition a ‘liquid’ biopsy can only detect systemically circulated cells- micromets … I am betting improving treatment will continue to outpace early detection as the key to improved survival.
@@GlobalShutterNY Why limit to the "liquid" biopsy? I am quite sure that in 10-20 years a completely new way of detecting it will come. Now, whether improving the treatment or diagnosis is more important - time will tell :)
In this episode, we discuss:
0:00:08 - Alex’s background in applying engineering to problems in medicine
0:19:57 - A primer on human genetics, and the history and current landscape of DNA sequencing
0:24:05 - The advent and evolution of liquid biopsies for early detection of cancer
0:44:14 - The role of cell-free DNA in cancer detection: how incidental findings in non-invasive prenatal testing led to the development of liquid biopsies
0:51:05 - The development of a universal blood test for cancer detection and a discussion of specificity of tests
0:56:48 - Advancements in cell-free DNA analysis and development of a multi-cancer screening test at GRAIL
1:05:27 - DNA methylation explained
1:11:00 - Optimizing cancer detection with methylation analysis of cfDNA in small blood samples
1:17:22 - The importance of understanding sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value in cancer screening
1:32:57 - The performance of the GRAIL Galleri test and its ability to detect various types and stages of cancer
1:41:05 - Do early cancer detection methods, like liquid biopsies, translate to improvement in overall survival?
1:54:45 - The role of epigenetics in aging
2:01:58 - How cell-free DNA methylation patterns can help identify a cancer’s tissue of origin
2:09:48 - Cellular and epigenetic reprogramming and other exciting work in the field of aging
Your book has been a game changer for me! Thanks! Hope you keep the book updated over the years with all the new innovation and knowledge.
What a great, insightful episode right at the pulse of science! Listening to this, I can sense where cancer research and therapy in lockstep are moving. A big thanks to the host and his guest!
fantastic , this episode was amazing. i had a hard time studying all my life and did a small course in genomics, i pushed everything aside and got quite depressed but recently have gone back to my real passions and this episode bought me back to what i find fascinating. thank you so much for this episode. i was blown away you know these people!!
Thank you Peter and Alex. This was an excellent discussion. I see patients from Galleri trial as a Breast surgeon and this information was very helpful.
this was a better, more technical podcast than ones talking about new age mumbo self help jumbo about happienss or phsyiotherapists. Please more episodes like this.
Grateful. like always, for these vids. What a gift. How does a firm let these guys get away?
My wife and I paid $199ea in late 2021 at Color genomics for mutations. We had no genetic risk (or any other) but my wife got cancer.
That sucks. What type of cancer and how soon after her test?
needs few times listening to better understand, dense and high quality science based with potential tremendous applications, well done. BTW would be nice if you can update with some studies links or citations
Hello, does targeted therapy take into account extra mutational load, where tumours continue to undergo mutational change after initial diagnosis?
My question is: If this amount of brain power and money was spent on addressing the cause of cancer rather than treating it after it becomes a problem?
Could it be, it’s the money?
Cancer is a consequence of being multicellular. It is inevitable. You can reduce risks, but can't eliminate it. But yes we should have tried to understand Basic physiology basic research of cancer instead of just focusing on treatment. But we finally beginning to understand more about cancer due to Genome sequencing etc.
The data (not bias or intuition) has shown that early detection has minimal if any effect on survival. The advances in cancer survival are NOT detection but much better and improved treatments. Considering that even the smallest detectable cancers have billions of cells they have already become blood-borne - we can never detect pre-metastatic cancers ....
We can never detect? Maybe not in our lifetime, but it will be detectable in the future, I am quite sure :)
@@Tyrantteemo Maybe way way- but almost by definition a ‘liquid’ biopsy can only detect systemically circulated cells- micromets … I am betting improving treatment will continue to outpace early detection as the key to improved survival.
@@GlobalShutterNY Why limit to the "liquid" biopsy? I am quite sure that in 10-20 years a completely new way of detecting it will come. Now, whether improving the treatment or diagnosis is more important - time will tell :)