In a study presented at AACR, immunotherapy responses across 20 cancer types were consistently higher for tumors with TMB of at least 16 somatic mutations per megabase.
A recent study suggests the lack of diversity in public databases may affect the accuracy of TMB scores and lead to inappropriate treatment for racial minorities.
Researchers are increasingly arguing that the tissue-agnostic approval was too broad, and that tumor mutational burden is only a biomarker of response to immunotherapy in a handful of cancer types.
Although the logistics still need to be worked out, the partners hope to streamline oncologists' experience ordering tests that can inform patient care.
The group is setting aside 5 percent of its annual test volume for the underserved and is hoping to partner with pharma and other groups to grow the program.
The rate at which NGS-based algorithms generate obsolete trial matches is a system-wide information shortcoming, not a reflection of the tests themselves.
