Discrepancies in Genetic Testing Procedures of BRCA1/2 Mutations: A National Survey Across China
Huanwen Wu1, Binghe Xu2, Qinglei Gao3
1Department of Pathology, Molecular Pathology Research Center, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Abstract:
International guidelines recommend BRCA testing for patients with breast and ovarian cancer. Little is known about the genetic testing practices of BRCA1/2 mutations in laboratories across China. This study was designed to assess the discrepancies in genetic testing procedures of BRCA1/2 mutations across China. An online survey was developed for depicting the BRCA1/2 testing landscape in China. Our results show that there were several variations among the laboratories in technologies adopted, large genomic rearrangement detection, probe design, quality control, variant of uncertain significance interpretation, and disposition of variants in public databases. The discrepancies observed in our study would affect the authenticity of results, thus necessitating the formulation of proper national and international guidelines for optimal BRCA1/2 testing clinical practice for efficient management and patient care of this population.


