Next-generation sequencing contributes to evolving cancer treatment in community settings

Howard A. Burris III

ORLANDO — The use of targeted therapies and immunotherapies are evolving oncology clinical practice from a “one-size-fits-all” approach to a personalized approach based on an individual patient’s biology, according to a presenter at Community Oncology Alliance Annual Conference.

Incorporating the molecular profile of patients will provide more information and insights as the field continues to expand.

“It’s an understatement to say that targeted therapies and immunotherapies have drastically changed oncology and clinical practice,” Howard A. Burris III, MD, FACP, FASCO, president of clinical operations and chief medical officer at Sarah Cannon Research Institute, said during the presentation.

Incorporating the molecular profile of patients with cancer will benefit the individual, future clinical research, drug development, and biology and resistance research, Burris added.

This will lead to a trend of treatments that will depend on the patient’s blood sample, DNA, urine sample and tissue analysis, among other analyses.

Next-generation sequencing comprised a number a modern sequencing technologies that include:

hot spot testing — which is focused on high-probability common alteration regions in specific genes;

comprehensive genomic profiling — which detects substitutions, duplications, insertions, deletions, indels, gene copy number variations and structural variants;

whole-exome sequencing — which is focused on the targetable coding and regulatory regions of the genome;

whole-genome sequencing — testing focused on the whole genome; and

whole-transcriptome sequencing — testing focused on the whole transcriptome.

Challenges associated with next-generation sequencing include cost, the time it takes, the rarity of its applicability in patients, difficulty interpreting the data and need for a biopsy.

Successes from next-generation sequencing, however, have been realized when they are performed and have contributed to precision treatments in breast cancer, colorectal cancer, melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, thyroid cancer and acute myeloid leukemia.

“I think we are very close to getting away from the ‘one size fits all,’” Burris said. “There’s a new paradigm shift here with the new therapies that are coming along and the challenges that will come along with them ... [and] it’s something that looks really good.” – by John DeRosier

Reference:

Burris H. NSG: An overview for the practicing clinician in 2019. Presented at Community Oncology Alliance Annual Conference; April 4-5, 2019; Orlando.

Disclosures: HemOnc Today could not confirm Burris’ relevant financial disclosures at the time of reporting.

Highlights from Community Oncology Conference

Next-generation sequencing contributes to evolving cancer treatment in community settings