Clinical Benefit of Comprehensive Genomic Profiling for Advanced Cancers in India

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Genomics
• Precision Medicine

Background:

• Comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) is increasingly utilized in low-middle-income countries for detecting genomic alterations.
• The clinical benefits and real-world application of CGP in these settings remain under-explored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the proportion of advanced cancer patients in India receiving targeted therapy based on actionable genetic alterations identified by CGP.
• To assess the clinical benefit derived from targeted therapies initiated after CGP in this population.

Main Methods:

• A multicenter, retrospective cohort study involving adult patients with advanced nonhematologic malignancies who underwent CGP testing.
• Patients receiving targeted therapy for ≥ 6 months were considered to have clinical benefit; ≥ 12 months indicated exceptional response.
• Descriptive statistics were employed to analyze the rates of targeted therapy and clinical outcomes.

Main Results:

• Out of 221 eligible patients, 10% (21 patients) received targeted therapy guided by CGP results.
• HER2 amplification (non-breast cancer) and HER2/EGFR exon 20 insertions (lung cancer) were common targets.
• Overall, 4% of patients experienced clinical benefit, with 1% achieving exceptional response.

Conclusions:

• In India, 10% of advanced cancer patients received targeted therapy based on CGP findings.
• The study highlights that only 4% of patients undergoing CGP testing achieved clinical benefit, indicating challenges in treatment delivery or efficacy in this setting.