Suitability of Frozen Pleural Fluid Pellets for Next-Generation Sequencing-Based Driver Gene Testing in Non-Small...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Molecular Diagnostics
• Genomics

Background:

• Multiplex genetic testing is crucial for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment selection.
• Next-generation sequencing (NGS) detects multiple driver gene alterations but faces challenges with tumor tissue availability and quality.
• Malignant pleural effusions offer a minimally invasive sample source, but their utility for NGS driver gene detection is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the suitability of fresh-frozen pleural fluid pellets for NGS-based driver gene testing in clinical practice for NSCLC patients.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective observational study of 26 NSCLC patients.
• Analysis of frozen pleural fluid pellets using the Oncomine Dx Target Test Multi-CDx System.
• Primary endpoint: success rate of driver gene analysis.

Main Results:

• High success rate (92.3%) for driver gene analysis from pleural fluid pellets.
• Detection rate of targetable driver gene alterations was 53.8%.
• Median turnaround time for results was 10 days.

Conclusions:

• Frozen pleural fluid pellets are suitable for NGS driver gene testing in advanced NSCLC.
• This represents a practical alternative for multigene testing when tumor tissue is inadequate.