This webinar was recorded on Tuesday, 16th September 2025.
The U.S. Oncology NGS testing landscape is evolving at a rapid pace. Our recent webinar explored the core trends shaping this market, offering a look at the challenges and opportunities in genomic testing today.
DeciBio Setting the Stage with Data
Alexander Nguyen presented an overview of DeciBio’s DxBooks dataset, sharing the latest insights on diagnostic test utilization trends. Andrew Aijian followed with findings from DeciBio’s Genomics Tracker, offering fresh perspectives on adoption dynamics across oncology practice.
DeciBio's U.S. Oncology Genomics Tracker provides a summary of oncology genomics testing practices, oncologist perspectives and experiences with test providers, and expected future utilization behaviors. Download a sample of the report here.
The NGS DxBook provides comprehensive demographic, infrastructure, and panel information for both labs performing in-house NGS testing and institutions outsourcing their testing to centralized providers. Download free insights and a sample database here.
Panel Discussion: Expert Perspectives on the Future of NGS
In the second half of the webinar, we were joined by our panelists for a wide-ranging discussion. Stephane Budel and Andrew Aijian guided the conversation, exploring key themes such as community versus academic adoption, the growing role of MRD, the integration of transcriptomics, and the potential of emerging technologies including AI, digital pathology, and early detection.
Key Takeaways from Our Panel Discussion:
Centralized vs. Decentralized: The Core Adoption Debate
While comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) is now standard for late-stage cancer patients, a key debate is where this testing should happen. Our research shows tissue-based CGP remains dominant, but as Dr. David Braxton of Hoag Health explained, community centers often outsource complex testing to specialized reference labs due to resource and expertise constraints. However, this is balanced by a push toward decentralization. George Cardoza of SOPHIA Genetics highlighted how technology providers are enabling more labs to bring testing in-house by offering the sophisticated bioinformatics and AI platforms needed to manage the complexity.
Expert Insights on Emerging Technologies and Reporting Hurdles
Our expert panel discussed the technologies moving from the cutting edge to clinical practice. Dr. Charles Gaulin of Dartmouth Cancer Center noted that Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) testing, which originated in the leukemia space, is now seeing rapid adoption in other hematologic malignancies like lymphoma, with support from NCCN guidelines. Despite this growth, reporting remains a critical challenge across NGS applications. Dr. Braxton emphasized that these are not simple "positive/negative" tests; their complexity requires expert interpretation to be integrated into patient care. The panel agreed that while AI won't replace the pathologist, it will be indispensable for structuring complex data and improving the actionability of reports.
Ultimately, success in the coming years will depend on navigating the centralized vs. decentralized decision, effectively integrating emerging technologies like MRD and digital pathology, and solving the persistent challenge of making complex genomic data clear and actionable for clinicians.
Speakers:
- Stephane Budel, Ph.D., Partner at DeciBio Consulting
- Andrew Aijian, Ph.D., Partner at DeciBio Consulting
- Alexander Nguyen, Associate Product Manager at DeciBio Consulting
Panelists:
- David Braxton, M.D., Chief of Molecular Pathology at Hoag Family Cancer Institute and Hoag Health
- George Cardoza, Chief Financial Officer at SOPHiA Genetics
- Charles Gaulin, M.B.B.S., Hematologic Oncologist at Dartmouth Cancer Center
Moderator:
- Megan Nacar, VP of Commercial at DeciBio Consulting
For a deeper dive into these trends, you can rewatch the full webinar on-demand or explore our new Oncology Genomics Tracker and DxBooks data products below.
Webinar Recording:
.png)
