The Royal Marsden has opened a pioneering cancer genomics centre in Sutton, designed to help more patients across the UK benefit from personalised cancer treatments and clinical trials.
The Royal Marsden Centre for Cancer Genomics is the first NHS facility designed to develop and deliver nationwide composite biomarker testing, which combines genetic information, imaging and other patient data to build a more detailed picture of an individual's cancer. The new centre will combine advanced genomics, imaging and AI to extend the benefits of personalised medicines and clinical trials to more patients across the UK.
Genomics has become a fundamental part of cancer care, helping clinicians diagnose disease earlier and match patients to the most effective therapies and clinical trials. By 2035, the UK Government anticipates half of all healthcare interactions will be informed by genomic insights and other predictive analytics. In this context, The Royal Marsden Centre for Cancer Genomics will help deliver on the ambitions of the UK's National Cancer Plan by expanding the country’s genomic infrastructure and developing the expertise needed to support earlier diagnosis, more personalised treatment and improved access to clinical trials.
This new facility has been made possible by funding from The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, including funding for the expansion of ctDNA testing at The Royal Marsden, as well as an infrastructure grant from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
Pictured above ae Professor Michael Hubank, Scientific Director of Clinical Genomics and Dr Mikel Valgañón-Petrizan, Head of Clinical Genomics.
The Royal Marsden Centre for Cancer Genomics will act as a national biomarker facility for clinical trials, helping bring the latest composite biomarker studies to the UK and enabling samples to be tested from anywhere in the country. In practice, this could help more patients in different parts of the UK to access these highly tailored drug trials without needing to travel to a major cancer centre.
The facility will also be dedicated to translational research, helping to bring promising innovations from the research laboratory into routine clinical practice more quickly, as well as next-generation circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) testing and novel, personalised diagnostic pathways like MyTrack Myeloma. ctDNA testing is a blood-based ‘liquid biopsy’ that detects small fragments of tumour DNA in a person’s bloodstream to diagnose cancer, guide treatment and predict recurrence.
As the cancer testing laboratory for the North Thames Genomics Laboratory Hub – one of seven hubs in England – The Royal Marsden Centre for Cancer Genomics will allow the Trust to relocate and expand its ctDNA analysis programme. As well as supporting the wider adoption of this technology in patient care, the facility will also help evaluate new applications for ctDNA testing and explore how it can be integrated with other diagnostic measurements as part of composite biomarker testing.
Professor Michael Hubank, Scientific Director of Clinical Genomics at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and Professor of Translational Genomics at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, said: “Composite biomarker testing looks set to deliver on the promise of integrated diagnostics, compiling as many different types of data as is necessary to characterise the patient and their tumour and make an effective, truly personalised clinical decision. The Royal Marsden Centre for Cancer Genomics will create the capacity for us to develop and deliver these new, highly sophisticated tests, while extending the reach of our genomic expertise far beyond the bounds of our own hospitals. By helping to establish and support new diagnostic approaches across the country, we can ensure that more patients benefit from the most advanced cancer testing and the personalised treatments it enables.”