Why we need more diversity in genomic databases

Minority populations are often underrepresented in genome sequencing studies, and this may affect therapy selection for Black patients with cancer, according to new Mayo Clinic research published in npj Precision Oncology.

As a result of the study, clinicians who are using public genomic databases need to be aware of the potential for inflated tumor mutation burden values and how that may affect therapy selection and outcomes, especially for patients from underrepresented groups.

This post originally appeared in the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine blog.