Molecular Profiling Project

ATORG is undertaking a comprehensive molecular profiling of "actionable" alterations in lung cancer specimens in order to determine the prevalence of each genetic subtype. These mutations are screened using the Oncomine Focus Assay, where 52 genetic alterations - including hotspots, single nucleotide variants, indels, CNVs, and gene fusions - may be detected in a single workflow. Oncomine™ Comprehensive Assay v3, an NGS assay which tests for 161 unique genes (Appendix IV), will be used in a later stage of the study, allowing for broader coverage of potentially targetable alterations. Both assays have a rapid turnaround time and addresses one of the main challenges of solid tumor testing - the scarcity of tissue material - requiring minimal sample input and thus enabling the use of a wider range of sample quality and types, including small biopsies and fine needle aspirates. However, as the list of therapeutically relevant biomarkers continues to expand over time, broader NGS panels will be used subsequently to incorporate emerging alterations. In addition, relevant baseline clinical characteristics are collated e.g. patient demographics, smoking history, number of lines of therapy, as well as outcomes including access to targeted therapies, immune checkpoint inhibitors and overall survival. Through comprehensive annotation of clinical-pathological-molecular characteristics, this study will provide a means to rationalize the application of diagnostic tests, as well as identify prognostic and predictive factors in the treatment of Asian lung cancers.