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1 of 2 children who were recently diagnosed with cancer in Romania was already enrolled in the Free Genetic Testing Program developed by MedLife[1]
Oncologists: MedLife’s genetic testing program, a premiere in Romania, helps us establish from the outset the treatment targeted for every patient, being the hope of a better clinical journey
- MedLife developed the first and only free genetic testing program, with national coverage, for the improvement of therapeutic success in children recently diagnosed with cancer;
- Approximately 200 children recently diagnosed with oncology disorders have already been enrolled in the program, representing approximatively 50% of those annually diagnosed in Romania;
- MedLife specialists show that genetic testing allows a better understanding of the disease, helping oncologists to accurately and quickly offer the appropriate treatment for every patient according to the severity of the disease, providing higher chances of offering a better clinical journey;
- The program is fully supported from MedLife funds and it is provided free of charge for all children who have been recently diagnosed with cancer. Enrolments can be made directly by filling in the form below: https://www.medlife.ro/speranta-nu-moare-de-cancer.
Bucharest, 23 November 2023 – In a situation in which, every day, in Romania, a child is diagnosed with oncological disorders and is embarking on a painful fight for survival, MedLife has launched a genetic testing program which allows oncologists to choose a targeted therapy for children with cancer in order to increase the treatment’s chances of success and, implicitly, the chances of survival. #SperanțaNuMoareDeCancer is the first and only free program of genetic testing in Romania for children recently diagnosed with cancer that is carried out exclusively by Medlife. From its official launch, at the beginning of this year and until now, approximately 50% of the estimated number of children diagnosed with cancer per year were enrolled in the program*, thus marking an important step with regard to targeted treatment for oncological disorders.
Currently, in Romania, there are 12 paediatric oncology centres, where 38 paediatric oncologists work and treat most of cancer cases in children. The Free Genetic Testing Program for Children with Cancer developed by MedLife benefits from a collaboration with most of the paediatric oncologists in the country. Thus, samples from several paediatric oncology centres in the country have reached the Biology and Molecular Genetics Laboratory. Bucharest (137), Cluj (40), Iași (16), Târgu Mureș (3) and Craiova (1).
Why do physicians believe this program makes the difference between life and death?
Medical teams, among which the one from the Fundeni Clinical Institute, have gladly embraced the program #SperanțaNuMoareDeCancer.
“The accurate classification of the severity of the desease offers patients the highest chance to undergo correct treatment and, consequently, the best chance of being cured of this disease. We have multiple patients who are well. For many of them we would have chosen another treatment in the absence of these genetic tests made available by MedLife. The huge difference is given by the accuracy and complexity of the information provided by this testing program, respectively by us knowing exactly which cell is involved in the leukemogenesis process. Moreover, the results have highlighted inclusively other rare diseases that we couldn’t even diagnose. Detailed knowledge of the enemy gives us the opportunity to choose the best therapeuruc cure“, declared Prof. Dr. Anca Coliță, Manager of the Fundeni Clinical Institute and Chairman of the Romanian Society of Paediatric Oncology-Haematology.
In addition, at the Clinical Emergency Hospital for Children in Cluj-Napoca the program was accessed by all paediatric patients recently diagnosed with cancer.
“This genetic testing distinguishes, within the same type of cancer, the types with a more favourable response and prognosis and the ones that are more aggressive. What does this mean for us? It means we can adapt treatment according to the severity of that type of cancer. Currently, without this type of expanded genetic testing, where hundreds of genes are tested, we cannot accurately classify different types of aggressiveness. A suboptimal treatment can lead to the disease’s lack of response, while a much too aggressive treatment may increase the risk of complications related to the treatment. And this genetic testing program has come at the right time and is helping us a lot in establishing exactly the treatment every patient has to receive. This testing may make the difference between life and death“, explains Dr. Cristina Blag, Specialist Physician in Paediatric Oncology and Haematology, Clinical Emergency Hospital for Children in Cluj-Napoca.
What benefits has the Free Genetic Testing Program developed by MedLife brought to children with cancer?
The genetic testing program for children with cancer offered free of charge by MedLife, for the first time in Romania, is based on a complex genetic testing technique called Illumina TruSight Oncology 500 (TSO 500). This test allows a comprehensive assessment of the genetic profile of cancer cells, analysing the mutations of 523 genes associated with several types of cancer and contributing to treatment adjustment for cancer patients with a precision of up to 94.5%, according to the data provided by Illumina.
According to the analysis carried out by the experts in the MedLife Genetic and Molecular Biology Laboratory, approximately 65% of those enrolled have benefitted concretely from the program, allowing them to obtain an exact prognosis, to identify relevant mutation for the treatment or to anticipate resistance to various therapies. This percent is determined by cancer type and the current stage of our know-how about the various types of cancer. Thus, with regard to leukaemia, we can arrive at a successful interpretation in over 90% of cases.
“The results of our tests offer valuable medical information for oncologists, including data regarding patient’s prognosis, tumour profile, recommendations of targeted therapies and clinical studies appropriate to the patient’s genetic profile. These data allow treatment customisation, which significantly increases the chances of therapeutic success. It is a significant step forward in the fight against this devastating disease and I am glad that, by supporting this program, MedLife also contributes to the decreasing of the financial and emotional impact of the affected families. Our goal is to help children with cancer and here we are, in most cases, we actually managed to do this“, declared Dumitru Jardan, Biologist and Head of the Genetic and Molecular Biology Laboratory.
What do the statistics on children with cancer enrolled in the program show?
Approximately 400 children and youth are diagnosed and treated every year in the paediatric oncology clinics, according to older data published by the Romanian Childhood Cancer Registry. Among them, in less than a year since the new genetic testing was introduced at MedLife, 202 children were enrolled in the #SperanțaNuMoareDeCancer program.
The most frequent types of cancer in children enrolled in the program are hematologic cancers (135 cases), which include various types of leukaemia and lymphoma, which affect the blood and lymphatic system. Second place includes neurological cancers (30 cases) which contain tumours of the central nervous system, such as glioblastoma and medulloblastoma. Then there are types of sarcoma cancers (21 cases), which affect conjunctive tissues, such as rhabdomyosarcoma. At the same time, there have been analyses of cases of renal cancer (5), ovarian cancer (2), skin cancer (2) and thyroid cancer (1).
Types of cancer analysed within the #SperanțaNuMoareDeCancer program
With regard to the distribution according to age categories and gender, the program included analyses of cases of 119 boys and 78 girls, from different age groups from 0 to 19 years old.
Distribution of cancer in children, according to age and gender, within the MedLife Free Genetic Testing Program
The Free Genetic Testing Program developed by MedLife continues
“We aim to make Romania better together and each step in this direction matters. The genetic testing program offered free of charge by MedLife to all children who have been recently diagnosed with cancer is a step in this direction and we are grateful that, through the program, we can make changes not only for the system, but especially for patients, giving hope in the lives of those most vulnerable among us. We are committed to bring forward this social program and we hope we will be joined by other partners from the business area or from public institutions, to increase the scale and dynamics of the program, but especially to increase the number of beneficiaries“, declared Ina Bădărău-Ilie, Communication Manager, MedLife.
Children who were recently diagnosed with cancer can continue to be enrolled in the #SperanțaNuMoareDeCancer program by one of their parents, legal guardians or attending physician by filling in a form and by uploading their medical file at: https://www.medlife.ro/speranta-nu-moare-de-cancer.
#SperanțaNuMoareDeCancer is a national coverage program fully financed by MedLife. Genetic testing is offered free of charge to children who have been recently diagnosed with cancer, in the conditions presented on the program dedicated page.
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About the MedLife Medical System:
The MedLife Medical System was started almost three decades ago, it has developed in a healthy way and has become the largest provider of private medical services in Romania. The Romanian entrepreneurs who started this company have invested and have been involved in making a difference within the Romanian health system, they believed in innovation and dared to aim as high as possible, in order to offer Romanian patients quality, professionalism, care and respect for their needs.
The company operates the most extended clinic network, one of the largest networks of labs, general hospitals and specialised hospitals and has the largest corporate client base for the Health Prevention Packages from the country. It is, also, from a sales standpoint, one of the largest players of private medical services in Central and Eastern Europe.
MedLife Group has had a successful history regarding organic growth, as well as growth by purchase. Its strong and experienced management team was capable to create and manage these growth opportunities, acquiring valuable know-how and experience, which has allowed it to find the best way to successfully communicate the expansion.
Being a traditional Romanian company, MedLife has chosen to be listed in the Romanian Stock Exchange, being a model of listings on the local capital market. It has opened new horizons, and by its implemented corporate governance, it has inspired other local companies to start on this road and to help develop the Romanian capital and economy. The shares issued by MedLife SA are admitted for transactions regulated on the spot market managed by the Bucharest Stock Exchange, Premium Category, with the transaction symbol “M”.
During the pandemic period, MedLife has managed to have an essential role in society and to acquire leader status in the monitoring of the pandemic by its active involvement in the research area. The company continues to invest in projects with impact over the local communities in technology and infrastructure. It creates workplaces and develops an ecosystem which contributes to the development and maintenance of a healthy Romania.
[1] The report is an estimate due to the fact that there is no public official information, at this time, regarding the number of children diagnosed with cancer this year. According to the case analysis from the Romanian Childhood Cancer Registry (2010 – 2017) 400 children and youth are diagnosed and treated every year in Romania’s paediatric oncology clinics. Another source, the European Commission’s platform, which measures the incidence of cancer in children in every EU Member State, ECIS – European Cancer Information System, shows that, in 2022, the cancer incidence in people aged between 0 and 19 years was of 545 cases. 202 children who have been recently diagnosed with oncological disorders, in the current year, have been enrolled in the First Program of Free Genetic Testing for Children with Cancer.
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