Sendurai Mani: The Power of Early Diagnosis and Precision Oncology

Sendurai Mani posted on LinkedIn:

“Blocking One Road vs. Multiple Roads to Prevent Chaos: The Power of Early Diagnosis and Precision Oncology

Someone recently diagnosed with cancer asked me why her friend, who was diagnosed with an early-stage tumor, responded better to treatment than she did with her late-stage diagnosis. I’m sure many others have the same question.

Imagine a city or fort with only one major road. If that road is blocked, the supply to the city is cut off, and in cancer terms, the cancer cells starve and die.

Now, imagine there are two or three roads. This scenario is still manageable, much like when a tumor is in its early stages.

But consider cities like LA, Paris, or Shanghai, with vast and complex road networks. Identifying the critical routes becomes challenging; even if you do, the enemy (cancer) can easily find alternative paths. Blocking every road would be impossible because each one would require a different drug, and using multiple drugs could lead to interactions among drugs and additional complications.

The key takeaway here is the importance of early diagnosis. If early detection isn’t possible, pinpointing the critical pathways/roads using a precision oncology approach is necessary for effectively targeting them.

To everyone fighting this battle, I deeply sympathize with your pain. Remember: Precision Oncology offers hope on the horizon.

I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to the John Tarantino and Pat Tarantino Foundation, Papitto Opportunity Connection Foundation, National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Science Foundation (NSF), the Legorreta Cancer Center at Brown University, and The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University for their invaluable support to my lab (manilab) and many others in this battle.”

Source: Sendurai Mani/LinkedIn

Sendurai Mani is a distinguished Indian-American oncologist and molecular biologist. Currently holding the Dean’s Chair for Translational Oncology at Brown University Warren Alpert Medical School, Dr. Mani also serves as the Associate Director for Translational Oncology at the Legorreta Cancer Center at Alpert Medical School.

Prior to his current roles, he held positions as Co-Director of the Metastasis Research Center and the Center for Stem Cell & Developmental Biology, as well as Professor of Translational Molecular Pathology at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Dr. Mani’s research focuses on finding the mechanisms driving cancer metastasis and therapy resistance, particularly in breast cancer. He is renowned for his discovery of cancer stem cells and their pivotal role in tumor progression and treatment resistance.

Dr. Mani is committed to mentoring the next generation of cancer researchers, and guiding graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty members in their scientific pursuits.

He has been honored with numerous awards, including the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Scholar Award and the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Scholar-in-Training Award. Through his dedication, Dr. Sendurai Mani continues to lead the way in advancing our understanding of cancer biology and improving treatment strategies.