In a fright- flight mode one might do just about anything. Dr. Lukas Wartman was in that very predicament, as his body was fighting for survival from leukemia he was feverishly trying to find a cure for others as well as himself. He subjected himself to being a case study that would change current protocol in such a devastating disease. The article speaks of doing a breakthrough technique never performed before- doing a complete genome sequencing of his cancer cells and his healthy cells along with his RNA to determine where things were going wrong. They found that one of his healthy cells was over producing and fueling the cancer cells. At the same time a promising new medication for kidney cancer looked as though it might perform the same type of shut down mechanism he would need in his leukemia. There were no other studies to help his decision so he would be the first person to try and use this medication for leukemia. He has had great results so far although his prognosis is undetermined at this time. The research is showing it is the genes for cancer that need to be altered not the structure or tissue affected. "Dr. Wartman’s doctors realized then that their last best hope for saving him was to use all the genetic know-how and technology at their disposal".
The article can be read at http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/08/health/in-gene-sequencing-treatment-for-leukemia-glimpses-of-the-future.html?_r=0
Another interesting research article can be found: http://www.jhoonline.org/content/pdf/1756-8722-6-10.pdf
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