Genome Sequencing of Human Cancer Tissues

The goal of this study is to develop a new, local system that will use special tests based on patients' genetic makeup to better tailor cancer care at the University of New Mexico Cancer Center. The Food and Drug Administration has already approved over forty (40) drugs to treat cancer patients based on specific genetic makeup, and more agents are in development that will support this new approach to treatment, often referred to as "personalized medicine." The goal of performing specific tests on patients' genetic material is to discover tumor-specific, single nucleotide variations (SNVs) and other forms of genetic changes (called epigenetic changes) that can be detected when comparing normal tissue and tumor tissue. This can help guide cancer care decisions that may be more effective for patients. These will be called clinically actionable findings, or CAF. Additional health related findings may be made, not related to cancer but to other conditions, diseases or syndromes. These are called secondary findings (SF). In this study the investigators will also measure how often they find SF and will discuss their possible impact on other aspects of patients' health. If patients want to know about these findings, they will be discussed with a panel of experts including genetic counselors. Finally, the investigators will compare how often CAF and SF differ from those identified in nationwide samples.