Point of Care Molecular Testing: Community-Based Rapid Next-Generation Sequencing to Support Cancer Care

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Genomics
• Clinical Pathology

Background:

• Biomarker data are essential for precision cancer care.
• Current next-generation sequencing (NGS) workflows have long turnaround times (over 2 weeks).
• Limited in-house NGS availability, typically at academic centers, hinders timely results.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility of rapid, comprehensive NGS in a community setting.
• To assess a novel, streamlined workflow using the Genexus integrated sequencer.
• To integrate NGS with existing immunohistochemistry (IHC) services.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review of 578 solid tumor samples.
• Utilized an automated workflow with the Genexus integrated sequencer.
• Histotechnologists performed NGS technical aspects; anatomic pathologists reported results.

Main Results:

• Median turnaround time for biomarker results was 3 business days.
• 83% of cases yielded results in under 5 business days.
• Detected key driver alterations in lung, melanoma, and colorectal cancers at expected rates.

Conclusions:

• First study demonstrating clinical implementation of rapid NGS.
• Supports feasibility of automated NGS in parallel with diagnostic histopathology and IHC.
• Offers significant advantages for clinical cancer care delivery.