The Colorectal Cancer Resource & Action Network (CCRAN) has announced the launch of Phase II of its genomic profiling research initiative, continuing its collaboration with Signal49 Research. This new phase shifts the research focus from national economic modelling to real-world evidence, examining how genomic profiling is delivered, accessed, and used across Canada's cancer care systems. The findings are expected to be released early next year.
Building on Phase I Findings
Phase II builds directly on the foundation laid in 2025, when CCRAN and Signal49 Research produced the first pan-Canadian model of the costs and benefits of publicly funding universal comprehensive genomic profiling using next-generation sequencing (CGP-NGS) for the five cancers with the highest mortality in the metastatic setting: lung, colorectal, pancreatic, breast, and prostate. Together, these cancers account for approximately 60 per cent of cancer mortality in Canada.
The Phase I research, titled "Precision in Practice: Costs and Benefits of Comprehensive Genomic Profiling for Five Stage 4 Cancers," found that for the nearly 136,000 Canadians expected to be newly diagnosed with one of the top five deadliest cancers in the metastatic setting between 2025 and 2030, adopting universal access to CGP could yield significant benefits compared with the current standard of care.
Key Benefits Identified in Phase I
According to the Phase I research, approximately 3,440 life-years could be gained across the patient population. There would be over $180 million in societal contribution, driven by increased total income tied to improved survival. Healthcare system cost savings would range from $87 million to $134 million, or roughly $715 to $2,495 per patient. Continued low diagnostic costs would be maintained, at just 0.3 to 4.1 percent of total treatment expenses.
The findings established what had previously been missing in Canada: rigorous evidence linking the well-documented patient need for CGP to its measurable value — for both patients and the health system alike.
Why Phase II Matters
For a patient facing metastatic cancer, access to comprehensive genomic profiling can be the difference between receiving the right treatment quickly and losing precious weeks to trial-and-error testing. Yet today, whether a patient receives that testing — and how soon — too often depends on where they live. Phase I established the value of closing that gap; decision-makers have since signalled that the remaining barrier is linking Canadian evidence to funding and implementation challenges. Phase II directly addresses that need by generating the real-world evidence required to expand timely, equitable access for patients across the country.
Real-World Evidence Focus
The second phase will draw on real-world genomic profiling experience and data from Alberta and Ontario to examine what enables access to genomic profiling, how and when results are being used to inform precision treatment decisions, and the system-level access patterns, variations, and bottlenecks that shape timely and equitable use. By situating these findings within the current policy and funding landscape, Phase II aims to shift the conversation from good intentions to actionable approaches — so more patients receive the right test and the right treatment at the right time.
