Detecting cancerous genes to be more affordable

Angelina Jolie’s undergoing double mastectomy made headline news across the world in May. Jolie, who lost her mother to breast cancer years ago, decided to receive the surgery after taking a genetic testing, which found she has 87 percent chance to develop breast cancer.

Jolie`s decision raised interest in genetic testing also in Korea. Hospitals say that more people who have family members suffering from cancer call to ask whether they should take a genetic testing. More affordable cost, which has declined to several million won (several thousand U.S. dollars) thanks to the development of genetic testing technologies, also contributes to the popularity of the testing.

○ Development of genetic analysis

Technologies of genetic analysis have developed at a rapid pace over the past decade since the completion of human genome project in 2003. U.S. National Institutes of Health completed the next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology in 2007.

The genetic technology does not analyze the 3 billion human nucleotide sequences in line. Rather it is a technology that cuts out genomes randomly, groups them and decodes them fast. NGS searches unusual genes by comparing the genetic sequence with a complete human genome map.

“The cost of genetic testing has lowered thanks to technology development based on the technology, including an ultrasound technology that cuts genomes fast, ultrahigh-resolution camera that reads nucleotide sequences quickly and computer technology to analyze these results fast, said Kim Tae-hyeong, a director at Theragen Bio Institute. "Currently, genetic testing costs about 20 million won (18,000 dollars) but the cost is expected to be lowered to the 2 million to 3 million won range (1,800 to 2,600 dollars) from the mid next year.”

○ Korea is far behind in genetic analysis business

A technology that detects cancer-causing genes provided from this year by Theragen Bio Institute and Yuhan Corporation costs about 1 million won (890 dollars). This technology enables target anticancer drugs to be administered by detecting 46 mutated genes known for causing cancers.

Domestic hospitals have also shown interest in this field. Seoul Samsung Hospital recently established Samsung Genome Institute with a goal to provide customized cancer treatment based on genome analysis. Seoul Asan Hospital also established Genome-Customized Cancer Center for the first time in Korea last year and is planning to develop target treatment by utilizing a technology developed with Harvard Medical School, which analyses genetic mutation related to cancer.