New benefit for ovarian cancer patients – the Ministry of Health plans to reimburse NGS tests
The Ministry of Health has announced the expansion of its list of guaranteed services to include a new diagnostic procedure for cancer patients. This involves comprehensive genomic profiling using NGS (Next Generation Sequencing) technology, which is intended to aid in the precise selection of therapy. The new tests will primarily benefit patients with ovarian, fallopian tube, and peritoneal cancers whose previous BRCA1/2 tests have not revealed a mutation.
The Ministry of Health's legislative agenda includes a draft amendment to the regulation on guaranteed hospital treatment services. The document proposes adding a new service: "Diagnosis of patients with malignant tumors using comprehensive genomic profiling using high-throughput next-generation sequencing (NGS)."
The Ministry of Health emphasizes that it will determine both the method of financing the service and the conditions for its implementation – from staffing requirements to the provision of specialized equipment.
Patients eligible for the study are those with a histological diagnosis of ovarian, fallopian tube and peritoneal cancer (defined by ICD-10 codes: C56, C57, C48), who have been provided with publicly funded, molecularly targeted therapeutic options, who have previously undergone NGS testing of the BRCA1, BRCA2 genes (from tissue) and no pathogenic or probably pathogenic variants have been detected in these genes – the project was justified.
According to the project, NGS testing will be available to patients with histologically confirmed ovarian, fallopian tube, or peritoneal cancer (ICD-10: C56, C57, C48). Eligibility will require prior BRCA1 and BRCA2 testing that has not revealed pathogenic mutations, as well as the possibility of publicly funded molecularly targeted treatment.
Next Generation Sequencing technology enables detailed genomic profiling of tumors and the identification of alterations that may be important for the selection of modern targeted therapies. This is particularly important in the treatment of ovarian cancer, where precise identification of genetic alterations translates into treatment efficacy and patient prognosis.
According to the Ministry of Health's legislative agenda, the regulation is expected to be issued in the second half of 2025. If the bill is adopted, Poland will join the countries that include comprehensive genomic testing in their catalog of guaranteed services.
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