BY THE LABORATORY DIVISION
The Laboratories Department at Lacassagne was set up in September 2012 and is made up of practitioners (doctors, specialists, biologists) and specialized medical and technical personnel. The Laboratories Department collaborates closely with the various care units and plays an essential role in the care chain. It includes the Oncopharmacology Laboratory, the Anatomy and Pathology Cytology Unit and the Sample Depot.
Specialized examinations performed at the Oncopharmacology Laboratory
The objective of the Oncopharmacology laboratory is to optimize medication management through a personalized medicine approach that enables the cancer treatment to be oriented in accordance with the specific individual characteristics of the patient’s tumor (search for tumor mutations, etc.), or in relation to the patient (genetic characteristics intrinsic to the patient). The goal is to adapt the treatment to each patient in order to administer the right treatment at the right dose. In this context, the laboratory carries out both a hospital activity, and a translational research activity.
The activity of the Oncopharmacology laboratory is multiple. The analyzes carried out as well as the methods for taking, storing and transporting biological samples are detailed in our Oncopharmacology analysis guide.
Request forms for the corresponding analyzes are available on the following links:
➥Liste des analyses spécialisées réalisées par le Département des Laboratoires
Contacts
Marie-Christine Etienne-Grimaldi, Biological Pharmacist, Laboratory Manager
Telephone 04 92 03 15 55 (secretariat), Fax 04 93 81 71 31
Analysis of tumor characteristics from tumor biopsies
The laboratory performs blood sample analyzes (phenotyping and genotyping) to identify constitutional (inherited) enzyme deficits that can lead to severe toxicities when molecules with pharmacokineticswhich are controlled by these enzymes are administered. These analyzes make it possible to objectively guide the dosage of fluoropyrimidines (deficiency of dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase, DPD) and irinotecan (deficit of uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase 1A1, UGT1A1). In this context, the Laboratory of Oncopharmacology was approved in July 2001 by the Ministry of Employment and Solidarity (Regional Directorate of Sanitary and Social Affairs of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur) for carrying out examinations of genetics applied to pharmacogenetics. Two accredited laboratory practitioners carry out these analyzes.
Analysis of drugs at the blood level
The laboratory also has a pharmacokinetic role which consists of measuring the blood concentrations of the molecule of interest in order to individually adjust the dose of the drug, so as to target concentrations with the best efficacy / toxicity ratio.
