Ten Years of the Molecular Tumour Board: Genome Sequencing to Personalised Therapies

Abstract

Twenty years ago, the human genome was first fully sequenced. The Human Genome Project was carried out at 20 centres in the USA, the UK, Germany, France, China, and Japan, took 13 years, and had costs amounting to 2.6 billion €. Thanks to the development of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), however, just a few years later, the entire human genome can now be sequenced in just a few hours for under 1000 €. This is a stark contrast to the enzymatic Sanger sequencing or the chemical Maxam-Gilbert method. The clinical implementation of these molecular insights nonetheless presents a challenge, as precise interpretation of genetic data is absolutely essential. This requires a multidisciplinary team of clinicians, molecular biologists, pathologists, and bioinformaticians to place the relevance of identified genetic changes in the clinical context. At this point, the molecular tumour board comes to the forefront. It enables personalised treatment decisions by integrating genetic and molecular findings and evaluating them in relation to available therapies and clinical trials.