NHS improves genetic testing for minority ethnic cancer patients

Exclusive: Pre-chemotherapy tests previously did not look for gene variant that put some ethnicities at higher risk of serious side effects Thousands of cancer patients from minority ethnic backgrounds will have access to “groundbreaking” genetic testing on the NHS that previously discriminated against them. This routine form of genetic testing, used before chemotherapy treatment, could save the lives of Black and minority ethnic cancer patients who already face poorer health outcomes after diagnosis compared with their white counterparts. Before undergoing chemotherapy, cancer patients across England undergo genetic testing that can lead to changes in treatments to reduce the adverse side-effects chemotherapy can have, including mouth sores, hair loss, nausea and fatigue, and which can also be fatal. Up to 40% of the 38,000 patients treated with fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy in England will develop an adverse drug reaction to the treatment. Until last year, these genetic tests only looked for four types of DPYD gene variants, which are mainly found within the DNA of people from white European backgrounds. Consequently, this genetic testing was less effective on Black cancer