Michael Hubank
Opportunites and Challenges for high throughput sequencing for cancer diagnostics
In recent years, the lower cost of DNA sequencing and ever-increasing capacity of sequencing technologies have led to the possibility of comprehensive and accurate diagnostic tests for cancer. Gene panels are beginning to replace single gene tests in the clinic, and there are sequencing options for available to detect copy number changes and structural variants. But challenges remain to be overcome to before genomic methods can become standard practice. Technical hurdles such as the source and purity of biopsy material can affect test performance. Restrictions of clinical reporting under standard operating procedures and to strict timelines are often incompatible with typical sequencing workflows, and the practicalities of cost and benefit must be considered when deciding whether a test is viable. Genomics will revolutionise cancer testing, but the successful adoption of sequencing technologies for clinical diagnostics requires careful and appropriate implementation.
Biography
Dr Mike Hubank is Head of Clinical Genomics (Research) at the Royal Marsden Hospital, and an honorary Reader in Translational Genomics at the Institute for Cancer Research, London. He leads the Molecular Diagnostics translational research team, establishing new genomics assays, and developing and applying diagnostic testing for clinical trials and research studies across the cancer field. Dr Hubank previously led UCL Genomics for 16 years, contributing to many publications in fields ranging from cancer to metagenomics. He is particularly interested in implementing genomic testing for circulating tumour DNA in a clinically relevant setting.
