Childhood cancers, effectively fatal 60 years ago, are now curable for up to 85% of children with access to contemporary treatments and care. However, for the majority of children in resource-limited settings, outcomes remain poor, with global survival rates closer to 20%—representing one of the largest disparities in global health.
Despite substantial investments to expand access to medicines and care, diagnostic challenges remain a critical barrier. Analyses suggest that a significant proportion of healthcare resources are wasted due to inaccurate or incomplete diagnosis, while efforts to scale conventional diagnostic approaches have faced implementation challenges in low-resource settings.
In this webinar, Dr. Nickhill Bhakta will describe how the St. Jude Global-led DARGAN study is developing and evaluating approaches to expand access to high-quality diagnostic testing through a global network. This includes the exploration of Oxford Nanopore sequencing technologies, such as adaptive sampling.
Please note: This is independent, investigator-led research using Oxford Nanopore technology. Oxford Nanopore products are for research use only (RUO).
In this webinar, you will learn about:
- The potential of whole genome sequencing with adaptive sampling targeted enrichment to consolidate multiple data types—such as structural variation, copy number changes, and methylation signals—within a single workflow.
- Insights from multi-site evaluation studies across the St. Jude Global network assessing feasibility, workflow performance, and concordance with existing diagnostic methods.
- Considerations for cost, infrastructure, and implementation when evaluating genomic technologies in low- and middle-income countries.
Who should attend:
Cancer researchers
Genomics researchers
Clinical lab directors
Pediatric oncologists