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Open Access 23-10-2024 | Pathology | ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Reporting of somatic variants in clinical cancer care: recommendations of the Swiss Society of Molecular Pathology

Authors: Yann Christinat, Baptiste Hamelin, Ilaria Alborelli, Paolo Angelino, Valérie Barbié, Bettina Bisig, Heather Dawson, Milo Frattini, Tobias Grob, Wolfram Jochum, Ronny Nienhold, Thomas McKee, Matthias Matter, Edoardo Missiaglia, Francesca Molinari, Sacha Rothschild, Anna Bettina Sobottka-Brillout, Erik Vassella, Martin Zoche, Kirsten D. Mertz

Published in: Virchows Archiv

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Abstract

Somatic variant testing through next-generation sequencing (NGS) is well integrated into Swiss molecular pathology laboratories and has become a standard diagnostic method for numerous indications in cancer patient care. Currently, there is a wide variation in reporting practices within our country, and as patients move between different hospitals, it is increasingly necessary to standardize NGS reports to ease their reinterpretation. Additionally, as many different stakeholders—oncologists, hematologists, geneticists, pathologists, and patients—have access to the NGS report, it needs to contain comprehensive and detailed information in order to answer the questions of experts and avoid misinterpretation by non-experts. In 2017, the Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics conducted a survey to assess the differences in NGS reporting practices across ten pathology institutes in Switzerland. The survey examined 68 reporting items and identified 48 discrepancies. Based on these findings, the Swiss Society of Molecular Pathology initiated a Delphi method to reach a consensus on a set of recommendations for NGS reporting. Reports should include clinical information about the patient and the diagnosis, technical details about the sample and the test performed, and a list of all clinically relevant variants and variants of uncertain significance. In the absence of a consensus on an actionability scheme, the five-class pathogenicity scheme proposed by the ACMG/AMP guideline must be included in the reports. The Swiss Society of Molecular Pathology recognizes the importance of including clinical actionability in the report and calls on the European community of molecular pathologists and oncologists to reach a consensus on this issue.
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Metadata
Title
Reporting of somatic variants in clinical cancer care: recommendations of the Swiss Society of Molecular Pathology
Authors
Yann Christinat
Baptiste Hamelin
Ilaria Alborelli
Paolo Angelino
Valérie Barbié
Bettina Bisig
Heather Dawson
Milo Frattini
Tobias Grob
Wolfram Jochum
Ronny Nienhold
Thomas McKee
Matthias Matter
Edoardo Missiaglia
Francesca Molinari
Sacha Rothschild
Anna Bettina Sobottka-Brillout
Erik Vassella
Martin Zoche
Kirsten D. Mertz
Publication date
23-10-2024
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Keyword
Pathology
Published in
Virchows Archiv
Print ISSN: 0945-6317
Electronic ISSN: 1432-2307
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-024-03951-0