Abstract 110P
Background
In an era of precision oncology, Molecular Tumour Boards (MTBs) play a crucial role in interpreting next generation sequencing (NGS) results and providing treatment recommendations for patients by matching patients with targeted therapies. Despite the abundance of data about MTB outcomes, there is limited evidence regarding the value of these boards perceived by specialists. This study aims to analyse the real-world impact of MTBs in clinical decision-making for cancer patients in the UK.
Methods
Participants of the TARGET National and CUP-COMP MTBs were surveyed to gather insights and learning around the value of MTBs as perceived by healthcare professionals who participate in them. The objective was to better understand the impact of MTBs on medical decision-making, identify areas for improvement and develop best practices going forward.
Results
Overall, 43 respondents (97.7%) felt that MTBs increased awareness of open trials matching genomic alterations, and 37 (84%) reported more confidence in interpreting genomic data. Additionally, 42 (95.4%) valued MTBs as educational, and 40 (90.1%) felt they fostered clinician collaboration. While 38 specialists (86.3%) supported offering NGS to all trial candidates, only 17 (38.6%) recommended referring all patients to MTBs after molecular profiling. MTB decisions on ctDNA and tissue samples were returned in adequate time for treatment decisions in 38.4% and 47.2% of cases, respectively, with frequency and capacity of MTBs being the main limiting factors for ctDNA, and sample collection and laboratory turnaround time for tissue samples. Participants also valued the use and accuracy of trial finder tools. One-third of respondents encountered challenges attending MTBs regularly due to MTBs not being factored into job plans.
Conclusions
MTBs are essential tools for precision oncology. This survey affirms the purpose of MTBs nationally to improve treatment options for patients and as an educational tool for oncologists. It highlights areas for optimisation such as efficiency of meetings, rapid molecular analysis turnaround time and reliable trial finder tools.
Clinical trial identification
Editorial acknowledgement
Legal entity responsible for the study
The authors.
Funding
Has not received any funding.
Disclosure
F. Thistlethwaite: Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board, Adboard/consultancy: T-Knife Therapeutics; Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Immatics, Scenic Biotech, F-Star; Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Kite Gilead; Financial Interests, Personal, Other, Occasional individual consulting: Guidepoint; Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board, Advisory board meeting Feb 2023: CytomX; Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board, Advisory board Feb 2024: Grey Wolf Therapeutics; Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker, Video interview speaking as an expert on emerging IO therapies (not speaking on behalf of ESMO): AstraZeneca; Financial Interests, Institutional, Other, iMATCH is a consortium funded by not for profit Innovate UK (UK government body) partners include clinical and academic institutes. I am director and my salary (0.2WTE) is supported through this work as a grant to my institution (The Christie NHS foundation trust - not for profit NHS hospital) from IUK: iMATCH director; Financial Interests, Institutional, Invited Speaker, NCT02890069: Novartis; Financial Interests, Institutional, Research Grant, Sarcoma pathways project and CAR-T PROMs study: GSK; Financial Interests, Institutional, Invited Speaker, NCT02493751: Pfizer; Financial Interests, Institutional, Invited Speaker, NCT03245736, NCT02988817, NCT02552121, NCT02001623, NCT05180474: GenMab; Financial Interests, Institutional, Invited Speaker, NCT03013491: CytomX; Financial Interests, Institutional, Invited Speaker, NCT03314935: Incyte; Financial Interests, Institutional, Invited Speaker, NCT02908906 and CAR-T referrals project: Janssen; Financial Interests, Institutional, Invited Speaker, NCT03132792, NCT04044768,: Adaptimmune; Financial Interests, Institutional, Invited Speaker, NCT03400332: BMS; Financial Interests, Institutional, Invited Speaker, NCT04262466, NCT03973333, NCT03515551: Immunocore; Financial Interests, Institutional, Invited Speaker, EudraCT Number: 2018-001005-85, 2018-003446-16: Achilles ltd; Financial Interests, Institutional, Invited Speaker: Agalimmune Ltd; Financial Interests, Institutional, Invited Speaker, NCT04839991: Crescendo; Financial Interests, Institutional, Invited Speaker, NCT05104515: Oxford Vacmedix Ltd; Financial Interests, Institutional, Invited Speaker, NCT05278975: RS Oncology LLC; Financial Interests, Institutional, Invited Speaker, NCT03697824, NCT03391778: GSK; Financial Interests, Institutional, Invited Speaker, NCT04140500, NCT04857138, NCT04826003: Roche; Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker, NCT05008913, NCT04949425, NCT03315091, NCT03313557: AstraZeneca; Financial Interests, Institutional, Invited Speaker, NCT03829501: Kymab Ltd/Sanofi; Financial Interests, Institutional, Invited Speaker, EUDRACT ID No: 2019-003329-11: Chugai; Financial Interests, Institutional, Invited Speaker, NCT05430555: T-Knife Therapeutics; Financial Interests, Institutional, Invited Speaker, NCT03621982: ADCT Therapeutics; Financial Interests, Institutional, Research Grant, IRAS Project ID: 227414: Novartis; Financial Interests, Institutional, Invited Speaker, ITIL-306-202: Instil Bio; Financial Interests, Institutional, Funding, CAR-T referrals project: Gilead, Autolus; Financial Interests, Institutional, Invited Speaker, NCT04763083: Novalgen; Financial Interests, Institutional, Invited Speaker, NCT05714553: Nucana; Non-Financial Interests, Personal, Other, Panel member for a funding committee (MRC is a UK government NFP organisation) 2020-2024: MRC DPFS panel member; Non-Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Role, Sarcoma UK is a not-for-profit charity. I act as an advisor on their Research Strategy Committee. This role is not compensated: Sarcoma UK; Non-Financial Interests, Personal, Leadership Role, Funding is from not-for-profit government bodies. Role is not compensated.: Chair of the Independent Steering Committee for NIHR Blood & Transplant Research Unit, Oxford; Non-Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Role, Funding panel member for CRUK (not-for profit charity). Role is not compensated: CRUK New Agents Committee Member; Non-Financial Interests, Personal, Leadership Role, Chair of Cell therapy subgroup. MRC is a not-for-profit organisation. Role is not compensated.: MRC Advanced Therapies Task Group; Non-Financial Interests, Personal, Leadership Role: ESMO Congress 2024 Experimental Immunotherapy Track Chair; Non-Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Role: ESMO TAT conference scientific advisory board 2025; Non-Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Role, Target Ovarian Cancer is a not-for-profit charity. I am Chair of their Scientific Advisory board. This role is not compensated: Target Ovarian Cancer. M.G. Krebs: Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Bayer, Roche, Janssen, Guardant Health, Zai Lab; Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Roche, Janssen; Financial Interests, Institutional, Expert Testimony: AstraZeneca; Financial Interests, Institutional, Advisory Board: Seattle Genetics; Financial Interests, Institutional, Invited Speaker: AstraZeneca, Blueprint, Astex, Bayer, BerGenBio, Carrick, Immutep, Janssen, Novartis, Nurix, Nuvalent, Pyramid Biosciences, Roche, Seattle Genetics, Turning Point Therapeutics, Relay Therapeutics, Ellipses; Financial Interests, Institutional, Research Grant: Roche, Novartis; Other, Personal, Other, Travel expenses for congress: Immutep, Janssen; Other, Personal, Other, Travel expenses: Roche, Zai Lab. L. Carter: Financial Interests, Personal, Other, Consultancy: Bicycle Therapeutics, Boehringer Ingelheim, Athenex; Financial Interests, Personal, Full or part-time Employment, Medical Advisor: Cancer research UK Centre for Drug Development; Financial Interests, Institutional, Invited Speaker: Boehringer Ingelheim, Bicycle Therapeutics, Cellcentric, Eli Lily, Athenex, Lupin Limited, Repare Therapeutics, Cytomx therapeutics, EMD Serono/Merck KGaA, Sierra Oncology, Nurix Therapeutics, ADC Therapeutics, Takeda; Financial Interests, Institutional, Invited Speaker, Funding for delivering commercial trial activity: Genmab. D.M. Graham: Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board, Consulting role on advisory board: clinigen; Financial Interests, Institutional, Invited Speaker, Institutional funding from study: MSD, Codiak Biosciences, Starpharma, Faron Pharmaceuticals, Synthon, Janssen, Incyte; Financial Interests, Institutional, Other, Sub-I: Institutional funding from studyResearch funding: AstraZeneca; Financial Interests, Institutional, Other, Sub-I: Institutional funding from study: Roche, BerGenBio, GSK, Bayer, Bicycle Pharmaceuticals, Carrick, Taiho Pharmaceuticals, CytomX Therapeutics, RedX Pharma PLC, Eisai Inc, Octimet, Orion Pharma, Kinex Pharmaceuticals, Boehringer Ingelheim, BMS, Turning Point Therapeutics, Immutep, Agalimmune, Kymab, Blueprint, Astellas, Cellcentric, UCB Biopharma USL, Eli Lily, Seagen, Repare therapeutics, Timepoint Therapeutics, Astex, Stemline, Crescendo Biologics Ltd., ADC Therapeutics, Genentech, Avacta Life Sciences Ltd., Nurix Therapeutics Inc; Financial Interests, Institutional, Other, Sub-I: Institutional finding from study: Chugai Pharmaceuticals; Non-Financial Interests, Institutional, Training, Training and support of research inclusivity seminar: Gilead. N. Cook: Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Roche; Financial Interests, Institutional, Invited Speaker: Taiho, Roche, AstraZeneca, RedX, Orion, Avacta, Bayer, Eisai, UCB, Starpharma, Boeringher, Loxo-Oncology; Non-Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Role: Roche; Non-Financial Interests, Personal, Other, Committee chair: Cancer Research UK. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.