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Updated: Apr 10, 2026
Integration of Wet and Dry Bench Processes Optimizes Targeted Next-generation Sequencing of Low-quality and Low-quantity Tumor Biopsies
Published on: April 11, 2016
Optimized precision oncology through implementation of a comprehensive molecular analysis pipeline - relevance for
Nuwar Harb1, Marcel Romey1, Albert Grass1
1Institute of Pathology, Philipps-University Marburg and University Hospital Marburg (UKGM), Marburg, Germany.
Background And Purpose:
Personalized medicine is guided by an expanding array of molecular targets. This study investigates whether larger next-generation sequencing (NGS) gene panels (> 1 Mb) yield more clinically relevant therapy options in molecular tumor boards (MTB) compared to smaller panels.
Patients And Methods:
We analyzed 281 consecutive patients using a 430-gene DNA panel (1.3 Mb) combined with a RNA-fusion panel and compared the findings to a 185-gene DNA panel (618 kb).
Results:
Molecular alterations were detected in 97.2 % of tumors with either oncogenic variants and/or gene fusions. Among these, 170 (60.5 %) received a molecular-stratified therapy recommendation from the local MTB. Only 8.8 % depended on the expanded 430-gene DNA panel, and additionally identified actionable variants in five additional genes. High TMB alone enabled 4.1 % of MTB recommendations.
Conclusion:
Our findings indicate that sufficient genomic coverage in DNA panels is essential for reliable TMB calculation, defining a minimal standard for genomic cancer care.
