Dr Will Cross, a Researcher and Lecturer in Biomedical Science at the University of Westminster, spoke on BBC Radio 5 Live about new research he has released in collaboration with Genomic England, which shows that studying individual patients’ genetic makeup can lead to more specialised cancer care.
During the BBC Radio 5 Live drive show, Dr Cross explained what the new research has revealed. The study, which was published in Nature Medicine on 11 January, shows that by using Whole Genome Sequencing, a tool that allows scientists to read the entire DNA of specific tumours and compare it to the DNA of healthy tissues, they are able to identify drug targets and offer more individualised cancer treatments, improving chances of survival. Along with this, Dr Cross explained that with the vast research they have done, there is now a large amount of data that scientists across the globe can use to continue the fight against cancer.
Explaining how the research has already had a real-life impact, he said: “There are 15,000 or more participants in the study and really we have to thank them because this study could not have happened without their input. They would have all received treatment and in some cases, there are suggestions that some people can go on to trials that they wouldn’t have done otherwise. There are drugs that we can pick up that we know targets specific mutations, but they may not have been offered had they not had that test.”
He added: “For some types of cancers the NHS now offers Whole Genome Sequencing standard of care so the project has done good work already and it will continue to do good work […] There are lots of new pieces of information that can be gained so it is an ongoing thing. The benefits we have seen already but there is more to come.”
Find out more about the latest research from Genomic England and the University of Westminster.
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