Adoption and utilization of NGS-based molecular profiling in community-based oncology practices: Insights from Sarah Cannon.

Abstract

34 Background: The price of NGS-based sequencing technologies is falling, and the adoption of NGS-based testing is increasing in oncology practices. To date, a survey of the adoption and utilization of NGS-based technologies as a part routine oncology clinical care has not been performed. Thus, a comprehensive analysis of physician adoption and utilization of commercial NGS testing in the non-academic medical center, community-setting between 2012 and 2018 was performed. Methods: Medical Oncologists in the Sarah Cannon Research Institute network ordered commercially-available NGS-based molecular profiling for their patients as standard of care. Data use agreements were initiated between SCRI, affiliated medical oncology practices, and commercial NGS testing providers, and patient NGS data was subsequently analyzed starting in 2012. Results: Community-based NGS testing rates with the Sarah Cannon network were 5.75/month in 2012 and 440/month in 2018. Plasma-based NGS testing began in 2014 and comprised 4.9% of total testing compared to 40.1% in 2018. The number of oncologist ordering molecular profiles increased from 11 in 2012 to 269 in 2018. Physician test utilization grew from an average of 6 tests/physician to 22 tests/physician in 2012 and 2018, respectively. NGS tests were performed on 34 different tumor types and biopsies were taken from both primary tumors (~40%) and metastatic sites (~60%). Tissue-based tests averaged 14 mutations/sample while plasma-based tests averaged 4 mutations/sample. There was a 74% decrease in median time between biopsy collection and NGS test results between 2012 and 2018 (131 and 34 days, respectively), indicating a shift toward the use of fresh – non-archival – tissue in recent years. Conclusions: These data establish NGS-based testing trends in community oncology practices and show that NGS-based tumor testing utilization has increased in the community-setting between 2012 and 2018. NGS testing is performed on a wide array of tumor types and oncologists order tests earlier and utilize fresher biopsies.