Cedars-Sinai Joins NCI-MATCH Clinical Trial
Cedars-Sinai Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine recently announced its collaboration with the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, and the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group (ECOG-ACRIN), an international scientific organization that designs and conducts biomarker-driven cancer research, for their precision medicine cancer trial, NCI-Molecular Analysis for Therapy Choice (NCI-MATCH or EAY131).
Eric Vail, MD
Cedars-Sinai Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine recently announced its collaboration with the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, and the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group (ECOG-ACRIN), an international scientific organization that designs and conducts biomarker-driven cancer research, for their precision medicine cancer trial, NCI-Molecular Analysis for Therapy Choice (NCI-MATCH or EAY131).
"Becoming an NCI-MATCH designated laboratory allows for the seamless enrollment of Cedars-Sinai patients into the largest precision medicine effort of its kind," said Eric Vail, MD, assistant professor of Pathology and director of Molecular Pathology in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. "Through this partnership, we are expanding treatment options for patients treated at our medical center. If an eligible gene variant is detected with our Ion Oncomine™ Comprehensive Assay, it provides the possibility for the patient to be enrolled on the NCI-MATCH trial."
The NCI-MATCH phase II clinical trial (NCT02465060) is evaluating the effectiveness of treatments directed by genomic profiling in patients with solid tumors, lymphomas or myelomas. The trial is specifically geared toward patients who have followed all standard treatments, but whose disease has progressed or patients with rare cancer types for which there is no standard treatment.
Such discoveries could be eligible to move on to larger, more definitive trials. With nearly 40 treatment arms addressing a wide range of tumor types and targeted treatments, NCI-MATCH is the largest precision medicine cancer trial to date. To learn more about NCI-MATCH, including clinical trial sites across the country, visit www.ecog-acrin.org/nci-match-eay131.
"NCI-MATCH is a discovery trial whose very nature – identifying and exploring knowledge gaps in precision oncology and advancing new hypotheses – means studying small subsets of patients," said ECOG-ACRIN study chair Dr. Keith T. Flaherty, director of Clinical Research at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. "We are qualifying additional laboratories, so we can cast a wider net for patients with the biomarkers of interest."
Tumor gene testing by a designated lab is the only pathway for patients to enroll into the trial.
"Tumor profiling and genomic testing are becoming common in daily practice for oncologists to help guide clinical care for cancer patients," says NCI-MATCH study co-chair Dr. James V. Tricoli, chief, Diagnostic Biomarkers and Technology Branch, Cancer Diagnosis Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis at the NCI. "We require qualifying laboratories to proactively identify potentially eligible patients for the NCI-MATCH trial."
Alain Mita, MD
As a designated laboratory, Cedars-Sinai will continue to perform its comprehensive genomic sequencing but can now identify and refer potentially eligible patients to the NCI-MATCH study.
"This is a tremendous recognition coming from the prestigious NCI, which further exemplifies the top quality of our pathology and laboratory work," said Alain Mita, MD, co-director of Experimental Therapeutics at Cedars-Sinai Cancer. "The designation opens novel, promising therapeutic avenues for many of our patients with little or no other options available."
The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine participates in the care of virtually every Cedars-Sinai patient, using the most sophisticated methods for making accurate diagnoses in all areas of anatomic and clinical pathology. The department also provides expert consultation services to the outside community.
This group of expert pathologists and clinical scientists is committed to improving precision medicine approaches, advancing basic science and translational research, and providing excellent training and education. In addition to proactively identifying patients receiving cancer treatment at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center who may be eligible for the NCI-MATCH trial, the Cedars-Sinai Molecular Laboratory is offering to identify patients at any of the NCI-MATCH participating trial sites upon request from treating oncologists. For more information regarding this, please email CSMCMATCHGroup@cshs.org or call 310-423-5326.
The clinical molecular laboratory utilizes numerous methodologies, including next-generation sequencing, to genomically profile over 1,000 oncology specimens each year. Additionally, the team is currently developing novel clinical assays, including whole exome and transcriptome sequencing.
"Our department's range of expertise is both comprehensive and deep," said David Engman, MD, PhD, the Medallion Chair in Molecular Medicine and chair of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Cedars-Sinai. "We are deeply rooted in providing not just accurate service, but timely service as well—allowing clinicians to treat patients sooner and better."