This month’s paper review highlights how access to next-generation sequencing (NGS) varies among cancer patients in the United States, according to a recent cohort study.
NGS is used in oncology to identify molecular alterations that can guide the use of targeted therapies. A retrospective cohort study, published in JAMA Oncology, investigated how consistently and how quickly NGS is adopted in clinical practice looking at data from 280 US-based cancer clinics (about 800 sites of care).
The study included 63,294 patients who were first diagnosed between 2018 and 2022 and underwent NGS across various advanced or metastatic cancer types. Although the one-year cumulative incidence of NGS testing increased in 2022 compared with 2018, the study found that most patients with advanced or metastatic cancer did not undergo tumor genomic testing at all.
The study also looked at how quickly patients accessed testing once diagnosed and identified some differences across patient subgroups. The analysis found longer times to NGS testing in patients from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, in the Black and Hispanic patient subgroups, and in those insured through Medicaid or Medicare. These findings underscore ongoing disparities in access to genomic testing and support the need for greater awareness and policies that promote equitable access to precision oncology.
At 4bases, we are fully aware of the importance of implementing molecular profiling strategies that are not only clinically informative but also efficient and accessible across diverse health care settings; as timely access to genomic testing remains a critical challenge, streamlined NGS solutions may help facilitate the integration of precision oncology into routine clinical practice.
Addressing these needs, PanCancer Pro is a capture-based NGS panel designed for comprehensive molecular profiling of clinically relevant variants associated with the development, progression, and therapeutic response of solid tumors. The assay targets a carefully curated set of genes with established roles in tumorigenesis, treatment selection, prognosis, and hereditary cancer syndromes. By focusing on clinically actionable alterations through an optimized capture design, PanCancer Pro is intended to deliver high sensitivity and specificity while minimizing background from non-actionable variants, supporting efficient and clinically meaningful genomic characterization.
Eager to know more? Read the full paper here
Source: Hage Chehade C, et al. “Trends and Disparities in the Use of Next-Generation Sequencing in Patients With Cancer in the United States.” JAMA Oncology.
