NHS APPROVES CANCER DNA TEST SERVICE FOR WIDER ROLLOUT

The NHS has approved expansion of Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS), a cancer diagnostic test, across the East of England from the end of 2025. The service analyses a patient's DNA to identify cancer types and causes, enabling doctors to recommend targeted treatments. WGS was previously available only at certain regional centres, limiting access for patients at hospitals without on-site genetic testing facilities.

A new preservation technique developed at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge addresses the main barrier to wider access. Previously, genetic material from biopsies degraded within hours unless frozen immediately, a capability not all clinical facilities possessed. The new method stabilises samples in a preserving solution, allowing transport at room temperature instead of requiring specialised freezing equipment. This removes the need for rapid sample delivery to regional testing labs such as Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

The rollout enables patients at Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn, Peterborough City Hospital and Ipswich Hospital to access WGS testing more easily. WGS remains available on the NHS for all children with cancer up to age 25 and adults with advanced ovarian cancers, triple negative breast cancers, certain sarcomas, blood cancers and cancers of unknown origin. Dr Jeffrey Rubasingham, a consultant clinical oncologist at Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn, was among the first clinicians to implement the new approach. The expanded access removes practical barriers that previously prevented eligible patients from receiving the diagnostic test.