Watch the complete presentation above for a detailed look on what makes Astron’s approach different to standard precision oncology processes. The executive summary below covers key points from our video “More Than Standard Precision Oncology: Why Astron’s Approach is Different”, presented by Dr Padman, Chief Medical Officer at Astron Health.
Executive Summary
Astron Health serves as your personal cancer research team, applying precision oncology principles to match treatments to patients based on their cancer’s specific biology rather than generic protocols.
What makes Astron different:
- Comprehensive molecular approach: Conventional precision oncology searches for a few actionable mutations, finding matches for less than 7% of known cancer drivers. Astron addresses the complete molecular landscape, considering all abnormalities, not just those with FDA-approved therapies.
- Immediate solutions: While traditional drug development takes 12+ years and billions of dollars per drug, Astron leverages existing medications, supplements, and evidence-based combinations that can target molecular abnormalities now, not years in the future.
- Multi-dimensional strategy: Cancer comprises hundreds of biologically different conditions with diverse drivers. We go beyond the “one mutation, one drug” model to address this complexity with comprehensive strategies tailored to each patient’s unique tumor biology.
Our approach combines:
- Advanced molecular testing that analyzes DNA and RNA in cancer cells to identify specific drivers and vulnerabilities at the microscopic level
- Bioinformatics and machine learning trained on tens of thousands of scientific papers to match molecular vulnerabilities with effective treatment strategies
- Personalized research-driven reports that support standard cancer treatments with targeted additional strategies
The heart disease parallel: The revolution in heart disease treatment offers a powerful analogy for our approach. When someone has a heart attack, doctors perform emergency interventions like stent placement or bypass surgery—similar to surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation in cancer. However, the dramatic improvements in heart disease outcomes came from addressing underlying risk factors: lowering blood pressure, managing cholesterol, and lifestyle modifications. These secondary prevention strategies have received substantial research funding and dramatically reduced recurrence rates.
Cancer has lacked a similar risk factor-led approach because of its complexity and heterogeneity. Astron changes this paradigm by using molecular testing to identify the hidden “risk factors” driving each patient’s cancer progression and recurrence, enabling targeted interventions that complement primary treatments—just as statins and blood pressure medications complement cardiac procedures.
Astron advances precision oncology through data-driven research, providing specialized reports to patients under oncologist supervision when our insights may benefit treatment decisions. Patients should discuss with
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