This is blatant self advertising of the worst kind.
Saying late stage people should contact your company to identify advanced or even trial therapies!
I strongly suggest that you take a course in medical ethics, so you can understand what is wrong about what you have written above and stop doing a disservice to already very sick patients.
From what I've heard lots of oncologists and pathologists are not up to date on CGP in general. We've had several patients come in to speak saying they only heard about CGP after getting a second or third opinion - otherwise they would have tried chemo and that was it. You really think its unethical to try to spread awareness of something that could help people?
> You really think an oncology specialist would be unaware of that kind of thing?
Yes. I know there is an unfortunately large number who are. Doctors generally and oncologists specifically have an epic amount of research and publications to keep up with. I know the doctors and researches who work for and with my company do a ton of outreach (e.g. going to conferences, trying to raise awareness, trying grow partnerships). If you don't believe me, go to ASCO or something I guess? You definitely don't have to take the word of an internet stranger for this.
> Specialists may have their reasons, or they even may be wrong, but as a software engineer, it really is not your call.
You're 100% correct - I am not a doctor and not qualified in any way to give medical advice. I work for a company that provides CGP tests. I am not and could not possibly begin to advocate for a specific treatment path. I also do not want to imply a given specialist would be wrong for either not recommending or recommending against CGP.
> Saying late stage people should contact your company to identify advanced or even trial therapies!
That is categorically not what I am saying. As far as I am aware, you as an individual cannot order this type of test. Your pathologist or oncologist has to work with you to make the decision. CGP can provide a ton of insight, and I personally would absolutely do it if it was an option. I do really hope more people have this as an option even if they opt to not do testing. As I said above, awareness is really a big issue.
Just to be 100% crystal clear for now and posterity: I am not a doctor. I am not providing medical advice. I'm a technologist in a forum for other technologists discussing some of the cool tech we work with.
Thinking that an oncologist does not know tumor sequencing is available is absolutely laughable as it is oncology 101. No need to go to conferences, just open any oncology textbook edited in the 21st century. But yeah of course your company is doing it more completely and more precisely, I get it. Now is the information that your company provides currently useful to the clinician? If your immediate answer is "of course", then you should think again.
The issue is that what seems important about it to you is not the same as what they perceive as important. It is interprofessional miscommunication.
And just to be clear myself, you should understand that your defense, although rational, goes against accepted medical ethics and ethics research.
I also understand that this is not from bad intentions on your part.
For what its worth, I'm just a software engineer and I gain nothing from this personally. (I don't even have shares or RSUs). I knew nothing about CGP when I got into this field so I'm generally pretty enthusiastic about telling people. I'm not running a super bowl add to take a magic pill - you actually can't even order this test on your own as far as I know - it has to come from a pathologist or oncologist.
Saying late stage people should contact your company to identify advanced or even trial therapies!
I strongly suggest that you take a course in medical ethics, so you can understand what is wrong about what you have written above and stop doing a disservice to already very sick patients.
Addendum:
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15187747