NCCS and Illumina collaborate for genomics research on rare cancers

It will focus on the profiling of AYA lymphoma patients.

The National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) has signed a collaboration agreement with Illumina to advance genomics research for rare cancers in the country

Through the partnership, the research is set to focus on the profiling of adolescent and young adult (AYA) lymphoma patients from an Asian multiethnic cohort.

In line with this, it will be conducted through leveraging Illumina’s genome sequencing platforms, such as the NovaSeq™ 6000 systems to study the genetic links between health and the disease for better diagnosis and treatment.

“Lymphoma in adolescents and young adults can be challenging to treat,” Jason Chan, director of the Cancer Discovery Hub at NCCS, said.

“As a medical oncologist, I look forward to finding new ways to more effectively target the disease to offer our young patients in Asia personalised and targeted therapies to improve survival rates and enhance their quality of life,” Chan added.

Meanwhile, the Medical Affairs head at Asia Pacific Illumina, Amol Zimur, emphasised their commitment to this partnership with NCCS.

“We are committed to continuing to support the NCCS to gain important insights to improve patient care and outcomes in these groups, as the classification systems used in non-Hodgkin lymphoma historically have not been studied in Asian populations,” Zimur said.