January 10, 2024

Novel insights for precision cancer care from the 100,000 Genomes Project

Whole genome sequencing (WGS) is a technique that allows us to read someone’s entire genome with a single test. The 100,000 Genomes Project laid the foundations for the NHS to become the first national health system to offer WGS as part of routine care via the NHS Genomic Medicine Service. For cancer patients, this technique can be used to compare DNA from their tumour to the DNA in their healthy tissues.

In the largest study of its kind, being published in Nature Medicine, researchers have analysed data from the 100,000 Genomes Project to report how combining health data with this whole genome data in patients with cancer can help doctors provide more tailored treatments for their patients by identifying glitches in DNA relevant to an individual patient’s diagnosis and treatment.

Journalists came to this SMC briefing to hear more details from a few of the authors of the study about the results and their implications for cancer care, including some examples of how WGS can help personalise cancer diagnosis and treatment in the UK now and into the future.

Speakers included:

Professor Sir Mark Caulfield, Professor of Clinical Pharmacology at Queen Mary University of London, and Vice Principal for Health for Queen Mary’s Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry

Dr Nirupa Murugaesu, Principal Clinician – Cancer Genomics and Clinical Studies at Genomics England, and consultant and cancer genomics lead at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust

Professor Matt Brown, Chief Scientific Officer, Genomics England