NIMS launches NGS- based Cancer Genomics Centre

NGS is an advanced technology that analyses changes in a patient's DNA and RNA, helping doctors to detect cancer early, identify its precise characteristics, and select more targeted treatments.

The facility has been established under the 'Advanced Molecular Oncology Diagnostic Services' (DIAMOnDS) project of the Department of Health Research (DHR) – Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Through this, cancer-associated genetic alterations can be detected with greater accuracy by analysing DNA and RNA.

Under this project, the laboratory provides eligible patients with various modern cancer screening tests free of cost. These include Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS), Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), Digital Droplet PCR (ddPCR), Fluorescence In Situ Hybridisation (FISH), Immunohistochemistry (IHC), and other molecular diagnostic tests.

Speaking to The Hindu, NIMS Director N Birappa stated that approximately 25 centres across India have been selected under the DIAMOnDS project, and NIMS is currently the only centre under this scheme serving Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka.

Meanwhile, Shantaveer G. Uppina, Professor and Head of the Department of Pathology, stated that since the beginning of 2024, 1,443 cancer patients have benefited from free molecular oncology diagnostic services. These include 784 lung cancer patients and 659 breast cancer patients.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that, demanding that the management fulfil their long-pending demands, the nursing officers at the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS), Hyderabad, staged a protest by organising a one-hour rally on the hospital premises.

Holding placards and banners with slogans such as "One Hospital, One Rule" and "Don’t Exploit Our Rights", the nurses staged the protest peacefully and returned to work after an hour.