In May 2019 the University of Glasgow hosted the 15th Annual ICGC Workshop and 2nd ARGO Meeting, which was attended by over 150 researchers across 16 countries. At the Workshop we announced the launch of our 21 Inaugural Research projects and programmes, as well as held a signing ceremony for our 2 newly established Regional Data Processing Centres.
Below is a summary of key messages and discussions from an attendee.
When research becomes clinical practice
The recent meeting of the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) in Glasgow brought together field leaders from genomic research, clinical oncology, pathology and patient advocacy, as well as senior representation from big pharma and the UK government. Highlights included Lord James O’Shaughnessy’s vision of a data-driven healthcare ecosystem, and an impassioned video message from Jess Mills (who is 39 weeks pregnant so unable to attend in person) describing her mother Tessa Jowell’s journey with glioblastoma and their vision for equitable access for all cancer patients to state-of-the-art diagnostics and therapies.
A recurring theme of the conference was where the boundary between genomic research and routine oncology practice currently lies. Small-scale exemplar projects from several jurisdictions, including Canada and the UK, are currently establishing a clear precedent for the ability of complex genomic analysis to accelerate progress in patient care. Transformative national projects, such as those underway in Switzerland, Belgium and England, present opportunities for the mainstreaming of advanced genomic testing to the point of delivery.
There was a broad consensus in Glasgow that the distinction between research and clinical practice is fast becoming arbitrary. As oncology clinical trials are increasingly viewed as part of the routine care pathway, a parallel expansion of access is required to the genomic biomarkers that drive clinical therapeutic development by informing on both patient response and the biology of the underlying disease; not just the 8-12 genes currently linked with drug approvals but 150-200 genomic biomarkers for which high-quality evidence exists for a role in predicting therapeutic response or resistance. An addition crucial piece of the jigsaw is the closing of the outcome loop to link therapeutics and genomics with patient phenotype and clinical response.
Key next steps in the realisation of the precision oncology project include the democratisation of genomic testing as part of routine clinical practice alongside the building of infrastructure to collate high-quality clinical data, which together will drive clinical trial enrolment. Judicious management of this process has the potential to deliver significant benefits to healthcare systems, through increased revenue generated from an expanding data-rich clinical trial ecosystem. Most importantly, such an approach will benefit cancer patients, through expanded access to novel therapeutics and expedited drug discovery.
Philip Beer MRCP FRCPath PhD
ICGC ARGO
pbeer@doctors.org.uk