A new report launched today (Thursday 12th September) has highlighted the need for all brain tumour patients to have access to genomic testing which is crucial in helping clinicians to better understand the condition and identifying those patients who may benefit from clinical trials.
Every adult patient in England with a brain tumour is eligible to receive whole genome sequencing (WGS) but the landmark report from the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission (TJBCM) found that fewer than 5% of patients accessed WGS in 2023.
Challenges with access range from tests taking multiple months to complete, a high burden of paperwork and limited knowledge around interpreting the extensive results. The report also highlights that genomic testing is further behind in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, when compared to England.
Following the findings, the TJBCM has launched a call to action to support widespread adoption of WSG. The charity has set out a series of six community-backed actions to improve WGS adoption and unlock precision medicine opportunities for patients with a brain tumour in the UK.
Jess Mills, Tessa Jowell’s daughter and TJBCM Co-Founder, said: “For patients, WGS is vital to possibly finding life-extending or miraculously, life-saving treatment which is completely targeted to the drivers of their cancer. It is very hard to bear that access is currently so limited.
“WGS offers hope, which is essential for so many people who will currently have been given a year to live. We must do everything we can to unlock and truly deliver this service for every patient. Mum eventually did access WGS - but by that point for her it was too late. I often wonder if she would still be here if we’d been able to access it as soon as she was diagnosed.”
Read the full report here.
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Published Thursday 12th September 2024