The TumorGraft Process Is Simple:
Implantation
A piece of the patient's living tumor is removed during surgery or biopsy and is implanted in mice. By implanting the tumor together with it’s microenvironment, TumorGrafts continue to very closely resemble the patient’s tumor with 94% genetic correlation to the tumor in the patient. Our TumorGrafts successfully grow over 80% of all tumors implanted.
Growth
While the TumorGrafts are growing in the mice, the patient continues to receive regular cancer treatment therapy from their oncologist. This growth period generally takes two months or longer.
Testing
Our scientists work closely with treating physicians to determine which cancer drugs to test on the patient’s TumorGrafts. Our labs will administer these cancer treatments to the TumorGrafted mice and measure the living tumor’s response to each drug regimen. Physicians receive a robust report on the effectiveness of each tested cancer therapy on the TumorGrafts. With this information in hand, physicians can personalize each patient’s cancer treatment therapy.
Banking
Every Champions TumorGraft is preserved as a living sample for future patient use. These banked TumorGrafts can be regrown and tested in the event of cancer progression or recurrence.