Illumina, a global leader in DNA sequencing and array-based technologies, announced some of the latest data on the impact of comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) for oncology patients, which will be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's Annual Meeting June 2–6 in Chicago. In addition to the real-world study data, Illumina, along with study collaborators, will also present on findings that expose gaps in current standard-of-care and unmet needs for cancer patients.
"As the number and complexity of targetable variants in advanced cancers has increased, CGP has become the standard of care," said Dr. Phil Febbo, chief medical officer of Illumina. "We are proud to collaborate with leaders in oncology to present compelling real-world evidence demonstrating improved survival in cancer patients who received CGP testing and targeted therapy compared to standard chemotherapy."
While CGP is increasingly included in care guidelines, the inconsistent application of CGP creates a major gap in the standard-of-care practice for advanced cancer. In order to understand the benefit of more consistent use of CGP, Providence, a not-for-profit health system serving the Western US, implemented a reflex testing protocol where CGP was routinely ordered by pathologists at time of diagnosis for advanced cancer patients. The abstract, "Improved outcomes from reflex comprehensive genomic profiling-guided precision therapeutic selection across a major US healthcare system," (abstract #6622) will be presented on June 3 from 1:15 to 4:15 p.m. at the ASCO Annual Meeting. It concludes: "CGP-guided precision therapy use is associated with significantly higher survival in a reflex testing population. A reflex protocol can overcome key barriers to the use and timing of genomic testing to improve access to these life-extending treatment modalities."
"Providence is committed to conducting research aimed at enhancing our understanding of therapies' effectiveness in real-world scenarios," said Dr. Carlo Bifulco, chief medical officer of Providence Genomics. "By gaining insights from this research, we strive to improve patient care and outcomes, benefiting both our patients and the broader health care industry. This study showcases the significant impact of implementing CGP testing systematically at the point of diagnosis, underscoring its potential to significantly improve survival rates in advanced stage cancer patients."
As tumor tissue is not always available for testing, another abstract reports on a collaborative study with Allegheny Health Network, a 14-hospital academic medical system serving western Pennsylvania and western New York, that revealed a high correlation of plasma circulating tumor DNA assays with values obtained from the solid tumor CGP assay. This included the identification of additional potentially actionable variants detected specifically in the plasma assay (abstract #3059). And to further clarify the value of complex biomarkers in cancer care, Illumina participated with the SEQUOIA (Sequencing and Oncology Informatics Academic) Consortium to map the landscape of tumor mutational burden across multiple cancer types in more than 10,000 patients (abstract #2615) across broad demographics.
Collectively, these studies contribute to the growing evidence supporting the benefit of CGP, from tissue or liquid biopsies, for advanced cancer patients.
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