0000000000359775
AUTHOR
Mariantonia Nacchio
TargetPlex FFPE-Direct DNA Library Preparation Kit for SiRe NGS panel: An international performance evaluation study
AimNext generation sequencing (NGS) represents a key diagnostic tool to identify clinically relevant gene alterations for treatment-decision making in cancer care. However, the complex manual workflow required for NGS has limited its implementation in routine clinical practice. In this worldwide study, we validated the clinical performance of the TargetPlex FFPE-Direct DNA Library Preparation Kit for NGS analysis. Impressively, this new assay obviates the need for separate, labour intensive and time-consuming pre-analytical steps of DNA extraction, purification and isolation from formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) specimens in the NGS workflow.MethodsThe TargetPlex FFPE-Direct DNA Libr…
KRAS mutations testing in non-small cell lung cancer: the role of Liquid biopsy in the basal setting
In advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, Kirsten Rat Sarcoma Viral Oncogene Homolog (KRAS) testing may soon acquire a predictive significance to select patients for AMG510 treatment. Since tissue samples are not always available, liquid biopsy may represent a viable option for KRAS testing. Here, we review the last three years clinical practice performed on 194 plasma based liquid biopsies by next generation sequencing (NGS) SiRe(®) panel. In particular, 36 (18.6%) KRAS mutated cases were identified, with an overall median allelic frequency of 5.0% (ranging between 0.2% and 46.8%). No concomitant mutations were observed in the other NSCLC clinical relevant genes includ…
Tumor mutational burden on cytological samples: A pilot study.
Background Immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) represent an important treatment option for patients who have advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Currently, evaluation of the expression level of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) has proven highly successful as a positive predictive biomarker for ICIs. In addition to PD-L1, other promising predictive biomarkers are emerging, including high tumor mutational burden (TMB-H). However, measuring TMB-H remains challenging for several reasons, among which is the difficulty in obtaining adequate tissue material from NSCLC patients. There are no data in the current literature regarding the possibility of adopting cell blocks (CBs) for T…