The new centre is the first in the NHS specifically designed to develop and deliver composite biomarker testing, a novel approach that combines different types of patient and tumour data with machine learning. This advanced testing aims to provide a fuller picture of a patient’s cancer, helping more NHS patients across the UK access clinical trials and more personalised treatments.
Genomics is increasingly fundamental to cancer care, aiding earlier diagnosis and matching patients to effective therapies. The UK government anticipates that by 2035, half of all healthcare interactions will be informed by genomic insights. The Royal Marsden Centre for Cancer Genomics will contribute to the UK's National Cancer Plan by expanding genomic infrastructure and expertise for earlier diagnosis, personalised treatment, and improved access to clinical trials.
Funding for the facility came from The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity and an infrastructure grant from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Historically, biomarker testing focused on single indicators, but composite biomarker testing uses multiple measurements, including genetic mutations and imaging features, analysed by machine learning to identify patterns that may otherwise be missed. This approach aims to better predict patient response to treatments.
The centre will serve as a national biomarker facility for clinical trials, bringing the latest studies to the UK and enabling samples from anywhere in the country to be tested. This could reduce the need for patients to travel to major cancer centres. The facility will also focus on translational research to speed up the adoption of innovations from the lab into clinical practice, alongside next-generation circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) testing and personalised diagnostic pathways like MyTrack™ Myeloma.
Building on The Royal Marsden's history in translating innovations, particularly in ctDNA and genetic testing, the centre will relocate and expand its ctDNA analysis programme. As the testing laboratory for the North Thames Genomics Laboratory Hub, it will support the wider adoption of this technology and explore its integration with other diagnostic measurements.
Dame Cally Palmer, Chief Executive of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, stated: “At The Royal Marsden, we are continuing to invest in the facilities, expertise, and technologies required to develop the next generation of cancer diagnostics, while continuing to deliver the highest standard of patient care. By bringing together world-leading cancer research, clinical expertise and patient care on a single campus, The Royal Marsden Centre for Cancer Genomics will help bring new diagnostics and genomic technologies into clinical practice faster, enabling more patients to benefit from life-saving treatments, while helping to accelerate innovation across the wider NHS.”
Professor Michael Hubank, Scientific Director of Clinical Genomics at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and Professor of Translational Genomics at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, added: “Composite biomarker testing looks set to deliver on the promise of integrated diagnostics, compiling as many different types of data as is necessary to characterise the patient and their tumour and make an effective, truly personalised clinical decision. The Royal Marsden Centre for Cancer Genomics will create the capacity for us to develop and deliver these new, highly sophisticated tests, while extending the reach of our genomic expertise far beyond the bounds of our own hospitals. By helping to establish and support new diagnostic approaches across the country, we can ensure that more patients benefit from the most advanced cancer testing and the personalised treatments it enables.”
The centre is part of a thriving life sciences campus alongside its academic research partner, The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), within the growing London Cancer District in Sutton. The Royal Marsden, with the ICR, is designated as the UK's only National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) dedicated solely to cancer.
