Comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) in breast cancer: Patterns and results from a clinico-genomic database
Authors: Achim Rody et al.
Overview
In recent years, comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) has increasingly played a role in cancer care across multiple diseases. Using a clinico-genomic real-world dataset, researchers sought to examine patterns of CGP testing and results in patients with breast cancer. This study, which included patients in both early and metastatic disease settings as well as across breast cancer subtypes, reinforced how uptake of CGP has significantly increased over the past decade.
Why this matters
Molecular testing is increasingly becoming part of the standard of care in many types of cancer. In this context, it is important to understand how factors such as ease of access, cost, or practice preferences of individual healthcare providers affect which patients undergo molecular testing as part of their routine care.
For diseases where the impact of molecular testing may differ across disease subtypes or throughout the patient journey, differences in testing patterns may be particularly relevant and informative. This work focuses on distinct settings within breast cancer, and provides critical evidence to contextualize more general practice trends, and the results of research centered around patients who have received molecular testing.
View the full abstract on the AACR website
Changes over time in real-world next-generation sequencing (NGS) test use in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (aNSCLC)
Authors: Akshay Swaminathan et al.
Overview
This study examined real-world next-generation sequencing (NGS) patterns and characteristics in patients with aNSCLC over time and across three databases. The findings demonstrated that NGS testing has increased markedly in recent years and moved earlier in the treatment pathway. The study also demonstrates that NGS-tested patients are becoming more reflective of the general aNSCLC population, a positive sign as efforts are made to improve access to comprehensive genomic profiling.
Why this matters
Real-world clinical research in the realm of precision medicine should be conducted in patients who undergo broad molecular profiling tests as part of their routine care. There has been, however, no clear understanding about how much these patients resemble the overall patient population at large.
Factors such as ease of access, cost, or practice preferences of individual healthcare providers may influence which patients receive tests or not. This work focused on aNSCLC and indicates that the subset of patients undergoing molecular tests is evolving, from being a relatively selected group, to a larger, more representative segment of the general aNSCLC patient population.
View the full abstract on the AACR website
