Genomics are giving James doctors blueprints for better breast cancer treatments. James breast oncologists are using genomic data — a kind of “blueprint for how cells function — to develop personalized treatment programs for breast cancer patients. Through genetic testing, our doctors are able to identify markers — like BRCA mutations — that can influence cancer growth and behavior, leading to treatment regimens with components and durations tailored to individual patients. “In the past, we thought of breast cancer, I think, as a cookie cutter. We gave everyone chemotherapy, then an estrogen-positive, anti-estrogen therapy,” The James’ Dr. Nicole Williams says. “Now we’re using genomic testing, for example, in estrogen-positive women, to see if they may or may not benefit from chemotherapy. So, we’re personalizing breast cancer more on an individual basis.”