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Fairley JA, Cheetham MH, Patton SJ, Rouleau E, Denis M, Dequeker EMC, Schuuring E, van Casteren K, Fenizia F, Normanno N, Deans ZC. Results of a worldwide external quality assessment of cfDNA testing in lung Cancer. BMC Cancer 2022; 22:759. [PMID: 35820813 PMCID: PMC9275131 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-022-09849-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Circulating cell free DNA (cfDNA) testing of plasma for EGFR somatic variants in lung cancer patients is being widely implemented and with any new service, external quality assessment (EQA) is required to ensure patient safety. An international consortium, International Quality Network for Pathology (IQNPath), has delivered a second round of assessment to measure the accuracy of cfDNA testing for lung cancer and the interpretation of the results. METHODS A collaboration of five EQA provider organisations, all members of IQNPath, have delivered the assessment during 2018-19 to a total of 264 laboratories from 45 countries. Bespoke plasma reference material containing a range of EGFR mutations at varying allelic frequencies were supplied to laboratories for testing and reporting according to routine procedures. The genotyping accuracy and clinical reporting was reviewed against standardised criteria and feedback was provided to participants. RESULTS The overall genotyping error rate in the EQA was found to be 11.1%. Low allelic frequency samples were the most challenging and were not detected by some testing methods, resulting in critical genotyping errors. This was reflected in higher false negative rates for samples with variant allele frequencies (VAF) rates less than 1.5% compared to higher frequencies. A sample with two different EGFR mutations gave inconsistent detection of both mutations. However, for one sample, where two variants were present at a VAF of less than 1% then both mutations were correctly detected in 145/263 laboratories. Reports often did not address the risk that tumour DNA may have not been tested and limitations of the methodologies provided by participants were insufficient. This was reflected in the average interpretation score for the EQA being 1.49 out of a maximum of 2. CONCLUSIONS The variability in the standard of genotyping and reporting highlighted the need for EQA and educational guidance in this field to ensure the delivery of high-quality clinical services where testing of cfDNA is the only option for clinical management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A Fairley
- GenQA, Nine, Edinburgh Bioquarter, 9 Little France Road, Edinburgh, EH16 4SA, UK.
| | - Melanie H Cheetham
- EMQN CIC, Unit 4, Enterprise House, Pencroft Way, Manchester Science Park, Manchester, M15 6SE, UK
| | - Simon J Patton
- EMQN CIC, Unit 4, Enterprise House, Pencroft Way, Manchester Science Park, Manchester, M15 6SE, UK
| | - Etienne Rouleau
- Medical Biology and Pathology Department, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France
| | - Marc Denis
- Department of Biochemistry and INSERM U1232, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nantes, 9 quai Moncousu, F-44093, Nantes Cedex, France
| | - Elisabeth M C Dequeker
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Biomedical Quality Assurance Research Unit, KU Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 35d, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ed Schuuring
- Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Kaat van Casteren
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Biomedical Quality Assurance Research Unit, KU Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 35d, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Nicola Normanno
- Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS-Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131, Napoli, Italy
| | - Zandra C Deans
- GenQA, Nine, Edinburgh Bioquarter, 9 Little France Road, Edinburgh, EH16 4SA, UK
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Keppens C, Van Royen Y, Brysse A, Cotteret S, Høgdall E, Kuhlmann TP, O'Sullivan B, Pauwels P, Pauwels S, Rot M, Vanderheyden N, Van Hee I, Dequeker EM. Incidents in Molecular Pathology: Frequency and Causes During Routine Testing. Arch Pathol Lab Med 2021; 145:1270-1279. [PMID: 33406246 DOI: 10.5858/arpa.2020-0152-oa] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT.— Errors in laboratory medicine could compromise patient safety. Good laboratory practice includes identifying and managing nonconformities in the total test process. Varying error percentages have been described in other fields but are lacking for molecular oncology. OBJECTIVES.— To gain insight into incident causes and frequency in the total test process from 8 European institutes routinely performing biomarker tests in non-small cell lung cancer and colorectal cancer. DESIGN.— All incidents documented in 2018 were collected from all hospital services for pre-preanalytical entries before the biomarker test, as well as specific incidents for biomarker tests. RESULTS.— There were 5185 incidents collected, of which 4363 (84.1%) occurred in the pre-preanalytical phase (all hospital services), 2796 of 4363 (64.1%) related to missing or incorrect request form information. From the other 822 specific incidents, 166 (20.2%) were recorded in the preanalytical phase, 275 (33.5%) in the analytical phase, and 194 (23.6%) in the postanalytical phase, mainly due to incorrect report content. Only 47 of 822 (5.7%) incidents were recorded in the post-postanalytical phase, and 123 (15.0%) in the complete total test process. For 17 of 822 (2.1%) incidents the time point was unknown. Pre-preanalytical incidents were resolved sooner than incidents on the complete process (mean 6 versus 60 days). For 1215 of 5168 (23.5%) incidents with known causes a specific action was undertaken besides documenting them, not limited to accredited institutes. CONCLUSIONS.— There was a large variety in the number and extent of documented incidents. Correct and complete information on the request forms and final reports are highly error prone and require additional focus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cleo Keppens
- From the Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Biomedical Quality Assurance Research Unit, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium (Keppens, Van Royen, Dequeker)
| | - Yann Van Royen
- From the Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Biomedical Quality Assurance Research Unit, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium (Keppens, Van Royen, Dequeker)
| | - Anne Brysse
- Unilab, Service de Génétique Humaine, CHU de Liège, Liège, Belgium (Brysse)
| | - Sophie Cotteret
- Pathologie Moléculaire, Laboratoire de Cytogénétique, Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif Cedex, France (Cotteret)
| | - Estrid Høgdall
- Department of Pathology, Herlev Hospital, Herlev, Denmark (Høgdall, Kuhlmann)
| | - Tine Plato Kuhlmann
- Department of Pathology, Herlev Hospital, Herlev, Denmark (Høgdall, Kuhlmann)
| | - Brendan O'Sullivan
- Histopathology, Cellular Pathology, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom (O'Sullivan)
| | - Patrick Pauwels
- Centre for Oncological Research (CORE), University of Antwerp, Edegem, Belgium (P. Pauwels).,Pathologische Anatomie, University Hospital Antwerp, Edegem, Belgium (P. Pauwels, S. Pauwels)
| | - Siegrid Pauwels
- Pathologische Anatomie, University Hospital Antwerp, Edegem, Belgium (P. Pauwels, S. Pauwels)
| | - Mitja Rot
- Laboratory for Cytology and Pathology, University Clinic of Respiratory and Allergic Diseases Golnik, Golnik, Slovenia (Rot)
| | - Nancy Vanderheyden
- Pathologische Ontleedkunde, University Hospital Leuven, Leuven, Belgium (Vanderheyden)
| | - Ilse Van Hee
- Anatomo Pathologie, Imelda Ziekenhuis, Bonheiden, Belgium (Van Hee)
| | - Elisabeth Mc Dequeker
- From the Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Biomedical Quality Assurance Research Unit, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium (Keppens, Van Royen, Dequeker)
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Causes behind error rates for predictive biomarker testing: the utility of sending post-EQA surveys. Virchows Arch 2020; 478:995-1006. [PMID: 33225398 PMCID: PMC8099794 DOI: 10.1007/s00428-020-02966-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
External quality assessment (EQA) schemes assess the performance of predictive biomarker testing in lung and colorectal cancer and have previously demonstrated variable error rates. No information is currently available on the underlying causes of incorrect EQA results in the laboratories. Participants in EQA schemes by the European Society of Pathology between 2014 and 2018 for lung and colorectal cancer were contacted to complete a survey if they had at least one analysis error or test failure in the provided cases. Of the 791 surveys that were sent, 325 were completed including data from 185 unique laboratories on 514 incorrectly analyzed or failed cases. For the digital cases and immunohistochemistry, the majority of errors were interpretation-related. For fluorescence in situ hybridization, problems with the EQA materials were reported frequently. For variant analysis, the causes were mainly methodological for lung cancer but variable for colorectal cancer. Post-analytical (clerical and interpretation) errors were more likely detected after release of the EQA results compared to pre-analytical and analytical issues. Accredited laboratories encountered fewer reagent problems and more often responded to the survey. A recent change in test methodology resulted in method-related problems. Testing more samples annually introduced personnel errors and lead to a lower performance in future schemes. Participation to quality improvement projects is important to reduce deviating test results in laboratories, as the different error causes differently affect the test performance. EQA providers could benefit from requesting root cause analyses behind errors to offer even more tailored feedback, subschemes, and cases.
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