10.12.12
DNA mapping to contribute to cancer care
100,000 people in England are to have their DNA mapped in the first stage of a major public health programme.
Ministers have committed £100m for an initial three to five year period where patients with cancer or certain rare diseases will have their genes mapped. The project aims to make genetic analysis a key component of some medical treatments.
The mapping can detect genetic predisposition to certain cancers and analyse the way a cancer develops.
The price of mapping has fallen dramatically in recent years, and is hoped to come down to £100 a genome.
Sir John Bell, professor of medical sciences at Oxford University, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We’re now getting to the point where the use of genetics in patients can actually help us deliver medicines and understand cancer much better, and to understand a range of diseases in a much more precise way.
“An understanding of the genetics of the cancer itself turns out to be crucially important for understanding what's going to happen to you with that cancer and choosing the most appropriate therapies. It's an issue about being able to manage people's cancers better and more precisely.”
Dr Harpal Kumar, Cancer Research UK's chief executive, said: “We welcome government plans to sequence the entire gene sets of many cancer patients. This work will uncover a wealth of new information which doctors and scientists will use to learn more about the biology of the disease and to develop new ways to prevent, diagnose and effectively treat cancer.
“We’re very excited about personalised medicine – some targeted treatments, such as imatinib, a drug for chronic myeloid leukaemia are already helping to treat patients more effectively – and we’re working hard – with many others – to develop new treatments, and to ensure the NHS can effectively deliver a more personalised cancer treatment service.”
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