ESMO Recommendations Outline Use of Next-Gen Sequencing in Metastatic Cancer Patients

The European Society for Medical Oncology on Tuesday published a set of guidelines detailing how next-generation sequencing should be used as part of routine clinical practice.

In addition to discussing the use of NGS across various cancer types, the guidelines address whether broad-based NGS should replace small panels designed to test a single gene or a handful of genes.

While NGS has been widely implemented across many cancers to guide the use of molecularly matched treatments, the clinical utility and cost effectiveness of large, multigene sequencing panels varies depending on tumor type and the efficacy and availability of targeted drugs. The new guidelines, published in Annals of Oncology, focus on the eight cancers responsible for the most deaths worldwide as well as additional cancers for which routine NGS may be justified.

“These are the first recommendations from a scientific society about the use of NGS,” Fernanda Mosele of Gustave Roussy in France, the first author of the paper, said in a statement. “Our intent is that they will unify decision-making about how NGS should be used for patients with metastatic cancer.”

Source: https://www.genomeweb.com/cancer/esmo-recommendations-outline-use-next-gen-sequencing-metastatic-cancer-patients