NCI-Molecular Analysis for Therapy Choice (MATCH) Trial Network

About NCI-MATCH

The NCI-MATCH Trial Network was launched in 2015. Although the original MATCH closed in 2023, it shepherded a new generation of precision medicine trials, including myeloMATCH and ComboMatch. These precision medicine trials include a diverse network of studies across a variety of domains—all aimed at improving the way we treat and track patients living with cancer.

NCI’s Role

The cornerstone of all MATCH studies lies in characterizing the genes, proteins, or other molecular features that make each person unique, and matching treatment based on that analysis. After molecular testing, a participant is eligible for matching to an appropriate treatment trial. Through this approach, NCI is helping researchers match participants to specific clinical trials that are likely to offer the most benefits.

ComboMATCH

ComboMATCH builds on findings from the original MATCH. Those findings show that a combination therapy-approach to treatment is an important part of precision medicine. ComboMATCH examines these drug combinations in greater detail. For example, by combining drugs, we can avoid resistance to a single drug that targets a specific genetic change. Researchers are testing combinations that can work in synergy—acting on different targets or similar targets—but which are more effective than a single drug alone. Multiple cancer types are eligible in the ComboMATCH study.

NCI took a new approach with ComboMATCH that allows for an open competition within the research community to identify combinations for testing. Those combinations require a high level of evidence, showing the two drugs have stronger anticancer characteristics than a single drug alone.

myeloMATCH

Anyone with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) or Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) is eligible to apply. These NCI trials are multi-tiered and geared toward finding new biomarkers and evaluating innovative treatments for eliminating or controlling cancer.

What sets myeloMATCH apart from other precision medicine studies is that many of these investigations follow the patients’ journeys over the course of their disease, giving researchers particular insight into how AML and MDS progress over time.

The Role of NCI’s Center for Biomedical Informatics and Information Technology (CBIIT)

NCI CBIIT deployed a multidisciplinary team—with expertise in computational biology, bioinformatics, and advanced software architecture—to develop a sophisticated infrastructure for the MATCH studies.

Computational Infrastructure and Algorithm Development

CBIIT’s team implemented a fully integrated computational ecosystem to speed processing and facilitate communication across the project’s workflow. The automated systems architecture developed by CBIIT included:

  • complex data processing and standard terminology mapping pipelines,
  • sophisticated user interfaces,
  • chain-of-custody validation and specimen tracking,
  • comprehensive data management systems,
  • backend computational processing modules, and
  • user-centered design principles to optimize workflow efficiency for clinical trial enrollment metrics, protocol amendments, and evidence-based clinical decision support.

Central to the MATCH informatics ecosystem is the molecular-clinical treatment assignment algorithm—a computational framework that applies rules-based logic to match genetic alterations with targeted therapeutic agents. This system incorporates multiple functional modules, enabling:

  • real-time notification systems (e.g., integrating with laboratory information management systems);
  • automatic validation (i.e., for biospecimen acquisition, processing, and molecular characterization);
  • dynamic and fully documented case assignment; and
  • built-in data interoperability (i.e., allowing easy integration with external molecular diagnostic and clinical platforms).

Secure Cloud-Based Data Architecture

CBIIT’s secure, cloud-based data architecture features role-based access control mechanisms, which fully comply with privacy regulations while maintaining data integrity. This comprehensive system includes robust security protocols to protect patient-identifiable information in a variety of data types (e.g., clinical annotations, genomic data, and external data sets). The myeloMATCH trial platform also is part of a continuously monitored cloud infrastructure, with round-the-clock technical assistance.

Connecting with the Cancer Community

Full screening details, such as eligibility criteria, location, and trial details, are available for ComboMATCH and myeloMATCH.

To learn how to enroll in a precision medicine study at NCI, talk with your doctor or other health care provider.

NCI is supporting the MATCH efforts with the help of researchers from the following organizations:

Additional Information

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