December 2021 Update

Genomic Tumor Board Update

Genomic Tumor Board sessions are a series of meetings coordinated through MCGI. During a GTB meeting, results from clinical genomic tumor tests are discussed with a panel of expert advisors, oncologists and pathologists. GTB sessions address a substantial barrier to wider adoption of cancer genomic testing in clinical care — the interpretation of test results. The information in a test report includes a significant amount of curated data. However, the process of interpreting this information and using it in clinical care can be time consuming. GTBs are designed to facilitate this process effectively and efficiently, leading to informed treatment decisions. 
 
Our GTB series has been offered in a hybrid format since its inception. This affords the assembled community of clinicians the opportunity to discuss potential treatment options for their patients both in person and virtually. 

Clinicians attending GTB sessions benefit from first-hand input from subject matter experts in the field of oncology in a discussion moderated by JAX Chief Medical Officer and MCGI Medical Director Jens Rueter, M.D. After each meeting, minutes for the session detailing the discussion and potential treatment options are distributed to attendees. 

Educational Resources

The Clinical Education team has a new blog post about the role of MCGI's Genomic Navigator, Lindsey Kelley. The blog post, How do I get from here to there? Navigating precision medicine in cancer discusses the role of a genomic navigator in helping to facilitate biomarker testing and access to targeted testing. 

Save the Date

The MCGI team invites you to the 5th Annual MCGI Forum, Friday and Saturday, April 1 – 2, 2022. In person attendance at the Samoset Resort in Rockport, Maine, is available by invitation to MCGI network clinicians; virtual attendance is open to all.   
 
MCGI clinicians and research staff will receive an email invitation to attend in person. Lodging and meal costs for MCGI network invitees are complementary. Invitees may bring a spouse or guest, with a guest meal charge to be assessed at time of registration.  
 
For those unable to attend in person, the event will be convened virtually. Virtual registration offers the option to view the event live or on-demand during a designated post-event period.
 
Please contact us at mcgi@jax.org with any questions or concerns. 

MCGI Volunteers for the Day

On November 4, the MCGI team took advantage of JAX’s volunteer time-off program to get outside and practice some environmental stewardship. The full seven-member team donned gloves and took up saws and lopping shears in an ongoing effort to remove invasive species from the green ash tree collection at Viles Arboretum in Augusta, Maine. Led by Dr. Jens Rueter, the volunteers removed several trailer loads of invasive burning bush, bittersweet vines and honeysuckle. 

"The rapid growth and dispersal tendencies of many invasive plant species makes them nearly impossible to control with such a small staff.” said Lauren Kercheis, Programs Manager, Viles Arboretum. “Volunteers are critical for the effective management of invasive species at Viles Arboretum, with many hands making light work of large projects that would otherwise take weeks to complete."

One team member remarked on the parallel between invasive species removal at the Arboretum and the day-to-day work that the MCGI team does in oncology. “It struck me that there are some similarities between helping oncologists find ways to root out cancer cells that don’t belong and coming into an environment like the Arboretum and getting rid of the plants that don’t belong,” said Jennifer Bourne, M.S., MCGI Program Manager. “Even when we take a day like this to reset, we are still focused on restoring health – in one way or another.”

The MCGI team is grateful to JAX for implementing a volunteer time-off program that empowers its employees make a difference in their communities and to the staff at Viles Arboretum for a great day and a satisfying experience.