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NGS for (Hemato-) Oncology in Belgium: Evaluation of Laboratory Performance and Feasibility of a National External Quality Assessment Program.

ABSTRACT: Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is being integrated into routine clinical practice in the field of (hemato-) oncology to search for variants with diagnostic, prognostic, or therapeutic value at potentially low allelic frequencies. The complex sequencing workflows used require careful validation and continuous quality control. Participation in external quality assessments (EQA) helps laboratories evaluate their performance and guarantee the validity of tests results with the ultimate goal of ensuring high-quality patient care. Here, we describe three benchmarking trials performed during the period 2017-2018 aiming firstly at establishing the state-of-the-art and secondly setting up a NGS-specific EQA program at the national level in the field of clinical (hemato-) oncology in Belgium. DNA samples derived from cell line mixes and artificially mutated cell lines, designed to carry variants of clinical relevance occurring in solid tumors, hematological malignancies, and BRCA1/BRCA2 genes, were sent to Belgian human genetics, anatomic pathology, and clinical biology laboratories, to be processed following routine practices, together with surveys covering technical aspects of the NGS workflows. Despite the wide variety of platforms and workflows currently applied in routine clinical practice, performance was satisfactory, since participating laboratories identified the targeted variants with success rates ranging between 93.06% and 97.63% depending on the benchmark, and few false negative or repeatability issues were identified. However, variant reporting and interpretation varied, underlining the need for further standardization. Our approach showcases the feasibility of developing and implementing EQA for routine clinical practice in the field of (hemato-) oncology, while highlighting the challenges faced.

SUBMITTER: Delcourt T

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7692129 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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NGS for (Hemato-) Oncology in Belgium: Evaluation of Laboratory Performance and Feasibility of a National External Quality Assessment Program.

Delcourt Thomas T Vanneste Kevin K Soumali Mohamed Rida MR Coucke Wim W Ghislain Vanessa V Hebrant Aline A Van Valckenborgh Els E De Keersmaecker Sigrid C J SCJ Roosens Nancy H NH Van De Walle Philippe P Van Den Bulcke Marc M Antoniou Aline A

Cancers 20201029 11

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is being integrated into routine clinical practice in the field of (hemato-) oncology to search for variants with diagnostic, prognostic, or therapeutic value at potentially low allelic frequencies. The complex sequencing workflows used require careful validation and continuous quality control. Participation in external quality assessments (EQA) helps laboratories evaluate their performance and guarantee the validity of tests results with the ultimate goal of ens ...[more]

PMID: 33138022

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Dataset Information

NGS for (Hemato-) Oncology in Belgium: Evaluation of Laboratory Performance and Feasibility of a National External Quality Assessment Program.

Publications

NGS for (Hemato-) Oncology in Belgium: Evaluation of Laboratory Performance and Feasibility of a National External Quality Assessment Program.

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