Tumor whole‑genome sequencing changes care in 40% of cases
Eric Topol’s real‑world study in Nature Medicine finds tumor whole‑genome sequencing influenced management in roughly 40% of cases—underscoring genomic profiling’s expanding clinical impact. The finding sharpens the case for broader sequencing access in oncology pathways. (x.com)
The Nature Medicine team analyzed routine paired tumor–normal whole‑genome sequencing in 888 patients with solid cancers at a comprehensive cancer center. (nature.com) Sequencing succeeded in 89% of submitted samples and the median laboratory turnaround time from sample to result was 6 working days. (nature.com) Potentially actionable DNA biomarkers were identified in 73% of patients, with 27% linked to reimbursed therapies and 63% linked to experimental therapy options. (nature.com) Patients who received biomarker‑informed treatment experienced a 31% longer median overall survival—an absolute gain of 96 days—compared with patients who did not receive such therapy. (nature.com) In the subgroup of 123 cancers of unknown primary, WGS delivered a diagnostic solution or detected reimbursed biomarker‑driven treatment options in 67% of cases, and 68% of that subgroup started tumor‑type–specific therapy. (nature.com) The manuscript was received on 10 February 2025 and accepted on 10 February 2026, reporting routine clinical implementation metrics and outcome associations for tumor WGS in real‑world practice. (nature.com)
