‘Give cancer patients DNA tests’

EVERY cancer patient in Britain should undergo DNA gene sequencing to prevent misdiagnosis, needless hospital visits and ineffective chemotherapy, the Chief Medical Officer has said.

In her annual report, Dame Sally Davies said it was time to end the “diagnostic odyssey” which left the average patient with a rare disease forced to consult five different doctors and wait four years before a correct diagnosis.

Dame Sally said the NHS must embrace DNA testing which, from a small sample, can correctly identify not just illnesses but also specific genetic mutations which play a dramatic role in the success of treatments.

Launching her report, Generation Genome, she said that within three to five years centralised laboratories should be established to handle widespread DNA testing, and patients would soon view genetic screening as a normal part of their treatment.

“The age of precision medicine is now and the NHS must act fast to keep its place at the forefront of global science,” said Dame Sally.

“This technology has the potential to

change medicine forever, but we need all NHS staff, patients and the public to recognise and embrace its huge poten- tial.

“I want all appropriate patients to get the opportunity. My dream is in the end that every patient gets their genome done if they’ve got cancer.”

The report was welcomed by Jeremy Hunt, the Health Secretary, who said it was crucial to “push the boundaries of modern science” to benefit NHS patients. More than 350,000 people a year are diagnosed with cancer in Britain and around 163,000 people will die from their condition.

Personalised drugs would end the “trial and error” approach often applied to cancer medication, while producing fewer side effects, quicker remission and huge cost savings to the NHS, Dame Sally’s report concluded.

A recent study into genetic testing for breast cancer found that up to half of early-stage patients could be spared chemotherapy after surgery because their DNA showed they had an ultralow chance of it returning.

There are currently 25 small laboratories in Britain running DNA testing for a handful of conditions at around £600 a time. But the new report suggested that the costs could be slashed dramatically it they were brought under a centralised system. Dame Sally

also called for a National Genomics Board to be set up and said training in genetics should be given to all existing clinicians.

The report also recommended that The National Screening Committee should conduct an evaluation into whether rolling out genetic screening nationally would be beneficial for public health.

The Medical Research Council (MRC) described Dame Sally’s findings as “far sighted”.

Prof Sir John Savill, the Chief Executive of the MRC, said: “This is a landmark report of great national importance.”