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Predictive molecular pathology in the time of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Europe

Malapelle, Umberto ; Pisapia, Pasquale ; Iaccarino, Antonino ; Barberis, Massimo ; Bellevicine, Claudio ; Brunnström, Hans LU orcid ; de Biase, Dario ; de Maglio, Giovanna ; Lindquist, Kajsa Ericson LU and Fassan, Matteo , et al. (2021) In Journal of Clinical Pathology 74(6). p.391-395
Abstract

Aims Lung cancer predictive biomarker testing is essential to select advanced-stage patients for targeted treatments and should be carried out without delays even during health emergencies, such as the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Methods Fifteen molecular laboratories from seven different European countries compared 4 weeks of national lockdown to a corresponding period in 2019, in terms of tissue and/or plasma-based molecular test workload, analytical platforms adopted, number of cases undergoing programmed death-ligand1 (PD-L1) expression assessment and DNA-based molecular tests turnaround time. Results In most laboratories (80.0%), tissue-based molecular test workload was reduced. In 40.0% of laboratories (6/15), the decrease... (More)

Aims Lung cancer predictive biomarker testing is essential to select advanced-stage patients for targeted treatments and should be carried out without delays even during health emergencies, such as the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Methods Fifteen molecular laboratories from seven different European countries compared 4 weeks of national lockdown to a corresponding period in 2019, in terms of tissue and/or plasma-based molecular test workload, analytical platforms adopted, number of cases undergoing programmed death-ligand1 (PD-L1) expression assessment and DNA-based molecular tests turnaround time. Results In most laboratories (80.0%), tissue-based molecular test workload was reduced. In 40.0% of laboratories (6/15), the decrease was >25%, and in one, reduction was as high as 80.0%. In this instance, a concomitant increase in liquid biopsy was reported (60.0%). Remarkably, in 33.3% of the laboratories, real-time PCR (RT-PCR)-based methodologies increased, whereas highly multiplexing assays approaches decreased. Most laboratories (88.9%) did not report significant variations in PD-L1 volume testing. Conclusions The workload of molecular testing for patients with advanced-stage lung cancer during the lockdown showed little variations. Local strategies to overcome health emergency-related issues included the preference for RT-PCR tissue-based testing methodologies and, occasionally, for liquid biopsy.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Journal of Clinical Pathology
volume
74
issue
6
pages
5 pages
publisher
BMJ Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • pmid:32737190
  • scopus:85117092530
ISSN
0021-9746
DOI
10.1136/jclinpath-2020-206957
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021.
id
38cadbef-5a6d-4580-9c1d-1bcda92282df
date added to LUP
2021-11-18 09:36:13
date last changed
2024-06-01 19:51:55
@article{38cadbef-5a6d-4580-9c1d-1bcda92282df,
  abstract     = {{<p>Aims Lung cancer predictive biomarker testing is essential to select advanced-stage patients for targeted treatments and should be carried out without delays even during health emergencies, such as the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Methods Fifteen molecular laboratories from seven different European countries compared 4 weeks of national lockdown to a corresponding period in 2019, in terms of tissue and/or plasma-based molecular test workload, analytical platforms adopted, number of cases undergoing programmed death-ligand1 (PD-L1) expression assessment and DNA-based molecular tests turnaround time. Results In most laboratories (80.0%), tissue-based molecular test workload was reduced. In 40.0% of laboratories (6/15), the decrease was &gt;25%, and in one, reduction was as high as 80.0%. In this instance, a concomitant increase in liquid biopsy was reported (60.0%). Remarkably, in 33.3% of the laboratories, real-time PCR (RT-PCR)-based methodologies increased, whereas highly multiplexing assays approaches decreased. Most laboratories (88.9%) did not report significant variations in PD-L1 volume testing. Conclusions The workload of molecular testing for patients with advanced-stage lung cancer during the lockdown showed little variations. Local strategies to overcome health emergency-related issues included the preference for RT-PCR tissue-based testing methodologies and, occasionally, for liquid biopsy.</p>}},
  author       = {{Malapelle, Umberto and Pisapia, Pasquale and Iaccarino, Antonino and Barberis, Massimo and Bellevicine, Claudio and Brunnström, Hans and de Biase, Dario and de Maglio, Giovanna and Lindquist, Kajsa Ericson and Fassan, Matteo and Fontanini, Gabriella and Gruppioni, Elisa and Hofman, Paul and Merkelbach-Bruse, Sabine and Molina Vila, Miguel A. and Pujals, Anaïs and Rapa, Ida and Righi, Luisella and Rosell, Rafael and Schildgen, Oliver and Schildgen, Verena and Schmitt, Fernando C. and Tallini, Giovanni and Borght, Sara Vander and Vigliar, Elena and Volante, Marco and Wagener-Ryczek, Svenja and Weynand, Birgit and Troncone, Giancarlo}},
  issn         = {{0021-9746}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{6}},
  pages        = {{391--395}},
  publisher    = {{BMJ Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{Journal of Clinical Pathology}},
  title        = {{Predictive molecular pathology in the time of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Europe}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jclinpath-2020-206957}},
  doi          = {{10.1136/jclinpath-2020-206957}},
  volume       = {{74}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}