RGCC stands for Research Genetic Cancer Centre.  It was founded by medical oncologist and genetics researcher, Dr. Ioannis Papasotiriou, MD, PhD in 2004.  RGCC is an oncology research and development company that has 25+ branches in 20+ countries, and the global presence is increasing.  RGCC headquarters is in Switzerland and general lab in Greece.  There are other labs in Germany and India that are for research purposes.

RGCC testing is a molecular oncology blood test also known as “liquid biopsy” that detects whole cancer cells (circulating tumor cells) disseminated from primary and/or metastatic sites or from unknown primary sites at very low level, and enabling enumeration for the baseline, and for identification of the heterogeneous cancer cell population.  The test is not meant to replace current conventional diagnostics, but like imaging and routine blood work it provides a more accurate assessment of the cancer status when combined with routine imaging study and routine blood labs.  

An analogy comparing conventional diagnostics with RGCC testing is as follows.  When doing clinical imaging studies (PET/CT, CT, MRI, US, Mammogram scans) of the body, on one hand it is like looking down at a forest from a drone high above and seeing the landscape and the borders or perimeters of an area of interest but unaware of what is happening at the ground level under the canopy of the trees. RGCC testing on the other hand is like looking from the roots of the trees up to the ground level to see what is happening.  The view from the drone can spot changes in the topography, shape, borders, and perimeters of the forest indicating suspicious activity below, but a closer look down at the ground level and roots of the trees may reveal a different situation.  Combining the two information produces an accurate assessment of the area of interest for baseline and future comparisons.

When making clinical decisions and creating therapy plans, an assessment or clinical impression of the disease condition needs to be as accurate as possible.  Conventional oncology diagnostics have relied on technologies that have not matched the growing molecular oncology diagnostics until recent years.  Around 2015, advances in molecular oncology diagnostics introduced “liquid biopsy”, which involves whole blood studies of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) from circulating tumor cells (CTC).  Detecting ctDNA enables early cancer diagnosis for conventional oncology.  The process of determining specific treatment plan is based on the biopsy-proven cancer diagnosis and what the FDA has approved for treatment of that diagnosis.

Unlike detecting ctDNA, RGCC testing detects the circulating tumor cells in the blood and includes chemosensitivity testing that determines what is or what are the most effective therapeutic anti-cancer agents (drugs or natural supplements) against the cancer cells in-vitro.  So, rather than creating a specific treatment plan based on biopsy-proven diagnosis, RGCC testing enables creation of personalized integrative therapy plan based on the individual's cancer cell physiology.  There is no need to guess what works when using RGCC testing.  The testing also provides the information on CTC resistance to treatment factors and tumor related gene expression rates (mutated genes that support cancer proliferation) for further customization of personalize therapy.  Currently 171 anti-cancer agents are tested routinely, and additional agents can be added to the blood sample for chemosensitivity testing at the discretion of the practitioner. 

Integrating RGCC testing data with conventional oncology and holistic therapy enables maximum potential for positive clinical outcomes in oncology care.