Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what focus Genomics England plans to give in its selection of cancer types for genetic sequencing to (a) cases of unknown primary and (b) other less common cancers with high mortality rates.

Genomics England has taken expert scientific advice on the choice of cancers based on the clinical benefit from whole genome sequencing and the availability of sufficient samples. The sequencing of cancer is at the pilot stage and Genomics England will take account of the information from the pilot and information regarding areas with unmet diagnostic need in determining future priorities for cancer and rare disease in delivering the Prime Minister's 100,000 Genomes Project.