Nurses leading first-of-its-kind cancer genomics service

_{^{Taken from an article published in Nursing Times, 3 December 2024}}

The team has been set up by the East of England Cancer Alliance and will work to embed genomics in cancer care.

By using insights from a patient’s complete set of DNA – their genome – genomics medicine aims to facilitate more personalised and preventative care.

For certain cancers, genomics has the potential to deliver faster and more accurate diagnosis and targeted treatment, as well as identification of family members who could be at risk.

The new East of England team, made up of six genomic clinical practitioners, is the first of its kind in England and is part of national ambitions to upscale the use of genomics in the NHS.

Set up by the East of England Cancer Alliance, (opens in a new tab) the new team is the first of its kind in England and supports a national strategy to embed genomics in the NHS, enabling staff and patients to access state-of-the-art tests and treatment in conditions where genomics can play a part, such as certain cancers.

Over the next ten years, the NHS plans to routinely offer genomic testing to all cancer patients where there is clinical benefit. This will deliver:

• faster and more accurate diagnosis
• personalised precision treatment
• greater access to clinical trials
• identification of family members who could be at risk

Nurses Liz Lawrence and Melissa Cambell-Kelly have been named service co-leads.

An oncology nurse for 23 years, Ms Lawrence has a postgraduate diploma in genomics and is about to start a master's degree in the topic.

She said: “As co-leads we are determined to increase genomic literacy across the East of England, working with colleagues to embed genomic testing and providing advice for all service users in cancer care.”

Meanwhile, Ms Cambell-Kelly has been in clinical research nursing for the last 15 years and is currently the lead nurse for cancer research at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

She also has a postgraduate diploma in genomics and worked on the 100,000 Genomes Project, a pioneering research initiative that sequenced the genomes of thousands of NHS patients with rare diseases or cancer.

“We are passionate about the next generation of cancer care and are proud to be leading this innovative project with our team of genomic practitioners,” said Ms Cambell-Kelly.

Overseeing the whole team is consultant medical oncologist Dr Brent O’Carrigan, who is clinical cancer lead at the NHS East Genomics Laboratory Hub, based in Cambridge.

He said: “It is widely expected that many future cancer treatments will be targeted to tumours based on specific genomic and other biomarkers.

“This can provide better information, guiding faster access to precision treatments or surgery based on the complete genomic profile of the cancer together with other diagnostic information, avoiding drug reactions and enabling access to clinical trials.

“Crucially, it may also identify family members who could be at risk to enable early intervention.”