United in Unique – every individual story is unique
On World Cancer Day, attention is drawn worldwide to the impact of this disease This year’s theme, United in Unique, highlights the fact that no two patients are the same. While many people share a diagnosis of cancer, every individual story is unique.
This also applies to cancer itself. Tumors may carry the same name, yet differ from person to person, and therefore do not always respond in the same way to treatment.
This is precisely why personalized, well-matched care is so important. Treatments that align with the unique characteristics of both the patient and the tumor increase the likelihood of more effective care and better outcomes.
The Hartwig Medical Database plays a key role in continuously improving this approach. The database contains genetic and clinical data from thousands of patients with metastatic cancer in the Netherlands, collected in collaboration withmore than 30 hospitals. The data span 51 tumor groups and 325 subtypes. Each genetic profile is unique and may hold the key to identifying the therapy that is most effective while causing the fewest side effects.
Want to know more? Visit the website catalog.hartwigmedicalfoundation.nl
What makes the database distinctive is that it not only contains complete DNA-profiles but also includes extensive medical background information for approximately 40% of patients. These clinical data—such as diagnoses, treatments, and treatment outcomes—are provided by hospitals and linked to genetic data.
This combination enables clinicians and researchers to identify patterns that would remain hidden in smaller, isolated datasets. By linking DNA mutations, tumor characteristics, therapies, and treatment outcomes, new insights emerge that can improve cancer care and support physicians in making informed treatment decisions.
Interested in learning more or exploring collaboration opportunities? Mail team Data access.
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We want to extract the maximum amount of information from the patient’s tumor. This DNA test is the The complete DNA test is the best available tool to extract the maximum amount of information from the patient’s tumor. We only need one tissue sample with sufficient tumor cells. We literally analyze the entire genome, including parts of the DNA that show mutations of which we don’t yet know the importance. This test is tumor-independent and future-proof. These are the two most important advantages of WGS.