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Updated: Oct 20, 2026
Micromanipulation of Circulating Tumor Cells for Downstream Molecular Analysis and Metastatic Potential Assessment
Published on: May 14, 2019
Implementation of a molecular tumour board in LATAM: the impact on treatment decisions for patients evaluated at
Martín Osvaldo Angel1,2, Carmen Pupareli3, Tomas Soule4
1Genitourinary Oncology Unit, Instituto Alexander Fleming, Cramer 1180, Ciudad Autonoma de Buenos Aires, C1426ANZ, Argentina.
Background:
The role of the molecular tumour board (MTB) is to recommend personalised therapy for patients with cancer beyond standard-of-care treatment. A comprehensive molecular analysis of the tumour in a molecular pathology laboratory is important for all targeted therapies approaches. Here we report the 1-year experience of the Instituto Alexander Fleming Molecular Tumour Board.
Patients And Methods:
The MTB of the Instituto Alexander Fleming was launched in December 2019 in a monthly meeting. In each interactive monthly session, five cases were presented and discussed by the members. These cases were referred by the treating oncologists. The MTB recommendations were sent to each physician individually, and to the rest of the meeting participants. This was discussed with the patients/families by the treating oncologist. The final decision to choose therapy was left to the treating physicians. Of the 32 patients presented at MTB, 28 (87.5%) had potentially actionable alterations and only 4 (12.5%) had no actionable mutation. Six (19%) patients received a local regulatory agency approved drug recommendation, nine (28%) patients received an off-label approval treatment recommendation and three (9%) patients did not receive the treatment due to access and reimbursement of the drug.
Conclusion:
In most of the cases evaluated, the MTB was able to provide treatment recommendations based on targetable genetic alterations. Molecular-guided extended personalised patient care is effective for a small but clinically significant proportion of patients in challenging clinical situations. We believe that the implementation of a MTB is feasible in the Latin America (LATAM) region.
Insights
The molecular tumour board (MTB) successfully recommended personalized cancer therapies based on genetic alterations in 87.5% of cases. This approach offers effective, targeted patient care, even in challenging situations.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Pathology
- Genomics
Background:
- The molecular tumour board (MTB) guides personalized cancer therapy beyond standard treatments.
- Comprehensive tumor molecular analysis is crucial for targeted therapy selection.
- This report details the initial year of experience of the Instituto Alexander Fleming MTB.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of a molecular tumour board in recommending personalized cancer therapies.
- To assess the rate of actionable molecular alterations identified in cancer patients.
- To analyze the outcomes of MTB recommendations regarding treatment selection and delivery.
Main Methods:
- The MTB convened monthly, discussing five referred cancer cases.
- Recommendations were provided to oncologists for discussion with patients.
- Treatment decisions remained with the treating physicians.
Main Results:
- Out of 32 patients, 28 (87.5%) had actionable molecular alterations.
- Six patients (19%) received recommendations for locally approved drugs.
- Nine patients (28%) received off-label treatment recommendations, with three facing access/reimbursement issues.
Conclusions:
- The MTB effectively provided treatment recommendations based on targetable genetic alterations.
- Molecular-guided personalized care benefits a significant subset of patients in complex cases.
- Implementing an MTB is feasible within the Latin America (LATAM) region.
