The MayoComplete Solid Tumor Panel — Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ most comprehensive genetic profiling assay to date — uses next-generation sequencing to check for mutations in 514 cancer-related genes known to have clinical significance. In this “Test in Focus” episode of the "Answers From the Lab" podcast, co-director of Mayo Clinic’s Genomics Laboratory, Kevin Halling, M.D., Ph.D., discusses how the comprehensive panel provides wide-ranging yet highly detailed information on genetic alterations.

“It’s almost like five tests in one,” Dr. Halling says. “What we typically observe is about five to 10 clinically significant alterations per case, but sometimes many more mutations if it’s a highly mutated tumor.”

The comprehensive panel tests genes across a spectrum of cancer types, providing insights that not only establish diagnosis and predicts prognosis, but guide therapeutic decisions.

“It may be used for any patient with an advanced, solid tumor as a way of identifying which patients may benefit from either immunotherapy or specific targeted therapies,” Dr. Halling says.

Listen to learn more about how the MayoComplete Solid Tumor panel advances genetic testing to optimize treatment choices for solid tumor patients.

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Testing

MCSTP | MayoComplete Solid Tumor Panel

Useful for

• Assisting in tumor profiling for diagnosis, predicting prognosis, and identifying targeted therapies for the treatment and management of patients with solid tumors.
• Identifying somatic alterations including: single nucleotide variants (SNV), small insertions/deletions (INDEL), gene amplifications, fusions, and splice variants in genes known to be associated with the tumorigenesis of solid tumors.

Specimen requirements

This assay requires at least 20% tumor nuclei. However, 40% tumor is preferred.

• Preferred amount of tumor area: 360 mm(2) tissue on up to 15 unstained slides
• Minimum amount of tumor area: 144 mm(2)  tissue on up to 15 unstained slides
• Tissue fixation: 10% neutral buffered formalin, not decalcified
• For specimen preparation guidance, see Tissue Requirement for Solid Tumor Next-Generation Sequencing in Special Instructions. For this test, 6mm x 6mm x 15 slides is preferred: approximately equivalent to 540 mm(2) with the minimum acceptable of 3.1mm x 3.1mm x 15 slides: approximately equivalent to 144 mm(2).

Preferred:

• Specimen Type: Tissue block
• Collection Instructions: Submit a formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue block with acceptable amount of tumor tissue.

Acceptable:

• Specimen Type: Tissue slide
• Slides: 1 stained and 15 unstained
• Collection Instructions: Submit 1 slide stained with hematoxylin and eosin and 15 unstained, nonbaked slides with 5-micron thick sections of the tumor tissue.
• Note: The total amount of required tumor nuclei can be obtained by scraping up to 15 slides from the same block.

• Specimen Type: Cytology slides (direct smears or ThinPrep)
• Slides: 2 to 6 slides
• Collection Instructions: Submit 2 to 6 slides stained and cover slipped with a preferred total of 10,000 nucleated cells or a minimum of at least 6,000 nucleated cells.
• Note: Glass coverslips are preferred; plastic coverslips are acceptable but will result in longer turnaround times.
• Additional Information: Cytology slides will not be returned. An image of the slide will be stored per regulatory requirements.

Performance information

• Analytic time: 14 days
• Day(s) and time(s) performed: Monday through Friday; varies

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