Sequencing our DNA is essential for healthcare says UK Chief Medical Officer

In her latest report called Generation Genome, Dame Sally Davies, the UK Chief Medical Officer, has said that genome sequencing should be part of medical care so we can offer precision medicine.  With precision medicine, treatment is matched to the persons genome.  She has suggested that we start with the diagnosis and treatment of cancers and rare diseases.

This has been something that I have been discussing with colleagues.  We are in a transition period where slowly people are starting to get their genomes sequenced as part of several large scale projects such as the 100,000 genome project but I think that quite soon the majority of us will be sequenced.

“The age of precision medicine is now and the NHS must act fast to keep its place at the forefront of global science,” said Davies. “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 potential. Genomic medicine has huge implications for the understanding and treatment of rare diseases, cancer and infections.”

This field will really advance if people’s genetic information is pooled so we can learn more about disease and treatments.

A team at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge, UK are at the forefront in developing pesonalised care for breast cancer patients.  The Personalised Breast Cancer programme will sequence the genomes of volunteer patients from the Cambridge Breast Unit. There are at least 10 different breast cancer tumour types and they respond differently to available treatments.

A rare disease is a disease that affects less than 1 in 2000.  Genome sequencing could help in the diagnosis and treatment of these diseases.

About 30,000 people have had their genomes sequenced and within 5 years this might become routine for cancer patients.

Sally calls for a National Genomics Board to be set up so that all genomic laboratories can be centralised.

Last week I was co-organiser of a one day conference on Personal Genetic Testing.  We agreed that this is going to come into healthcare in the very near future.

Read More – Global Women Precision Medicine.

Access the report here – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/chief-medical-officer-annual-report-2016-generation-genome

Quote taken from https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/jul/04/make-dna-tests-routine-part-of-nhs-care-says-uks-chief-medical-officer

Image credit – https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/research/resources/nhlbi-precision-medicine-initiative/topmed/wgs