<i>BRCA1/2</i> Molecular Assay for Ovarian Cancer Patients: A Survey through Italian Departments of Oncology and Molecular and Genomic Diagnostic Laboratories
Ettore Capoluongo,
Nicla La Verde,
Massimo Barberis,
Maria Angela Bella,
Fiamma Buttitta,
Paola Carrera,
Nicoletta Colombo,
Laura Cortesi,
Maurizio Genuardi,
Massimo Gion,
Valentina Guarneri,
Domenica Lorusso,
Antonio Marchetti,
Paolo Marchetti,
Nicola Normanno,
Barbara Pasini,
Matilde Pensabene,
Sandro Pignata,
Paolo Radice,
Enrico Ricevuto,
Anna Sapino,
Pierosandro Tagliaferri,
Pierfrancesco Tassone,
Chiara Trevisiol,
Mauro Truini,
Liliana Varesco,
Antonio Russo,
Stefania Gori
Affiliations
Ettore Capoluongo
Italian Society of Clinical Biochemistry and Clinical Molecular Biology—Laboratory Medicine (SIBioC), 20126 Milano, Italy
Nicla La Verde
Italian Society of Medical Oncology (AIOM), 20133 Milano, Italy
Massimo Barberis
Italian Society of Pathology-Italian Division of the International Academy of Pathology (SIAPEC-IAP), 20162 Milano, Italy
Maria Angela Bella
Italian Society of Medical Oncology (AIOM), 20133 Milano, Italy
Fiamma Buttitta
Italian Society of Pathology-Italian Division of the International Academy of Pathology (SIAPEC-IAP), 20162 Milano, Italy
Paola Carrera
Italian Society of Human Genetics (SIGU), 20126 Milano, Italy
Nicoletta Colombo
Italian Society of Medical Oncology (AIOM), 20133 Milano, Italy
Laura Cortesi
Italian Society of Medical Oncology (AIOM), 20133 Milano, Italy
Maurizio Genuardi
Italian Society of Human Genetics (SIGU), 20126 Milano, Italy
Massimo Gion
Italian Society of Medical Oncology (AIOM), 20133 Milano, Italy
Valentina Guarneri
Italian Society of Medical Oncology (AIOM), 20133 Milano, Italy
Domenica Lorusso
Italian Society of Medical Oncology (AIOM), 20133 Milano, Italy
Antonio Marchetti
Italian Society of Pathology-Italian Division of the International Academy of Pathology (SIAPEC-IAP), 20162 Milano, Italy
Paolo Marchetti
Italian Society of Medical Oncology (AIOM), 20133 Milano, Italy
Nicola Normanno
Italian Society of Medical Oncology (AIOM), 20133 Milano, Italy
Barbara Pasini
Italian Society of Human Genetics (SIGU), 20126 Milano, Italy
Matilde Pensabene
Italian Society of Medical Oncology (AIOM), 20133 Milano, Italy
Sandro Pignata
Italian Society of Medical Oncology (AIOM), 20133 Milano, Italy
Paolo Radice
Italian Society of Human Genetics (SIGU), 20126 Milano, Italy
Enrico Ricevuto
Italian Society of Medical Oncology (AIOM), 20133 Milano, Italy
Anna Sapino
Candiolo Cancer Institute-FPO-IRCCS, 10060 Candiolo (To), Italy
Pierosandro Tagliaferri
Italian Society of Medical Oncology (AIOM), 20133 Milano, Italy
Pierfrancesco Tassone
Italian Society of Medical Oncology (AIOM), 20133 Milano, Italy
Chiara Trevisiol
Italian Society of Medical Oncology (AIOM), 20133 Milano, Italy
Mauro Truini
Histopathology and Molecular Diagnostics Unit, Istituto Europeo di Oncologia (IEO), 20122 Milano, Italy
Liliana Varesco
Italian Society of Human Genetics (SIGU), 20126 Milano, Italy
Antonio Russo
Italian Society of Medical Oncology (AIOM), 20133 Milano, Italy
In Italy, 5200 new ovarian cancers were diagnosed in 2018, highlighting an increasing need to test women for BRCA1/2. The number of labs offering this test is continuously increasing. The aim of this study was to show the results coming from the intersociety survey coordinated by four different Clinical and Laboratory Italian Scientific Societies (AIOM, SIAPEC-IAP, SIBIOC, and SIGU). A multidisciplinary team belonging to the four scientific societies drew up two different questionnaires: One was targeted toward all Italian Departments of Medical Oncology, and the second toward laboratories of clinical molecular biology. This survey was implemented from September 2017 to March 2018. Seventy-seven out of 305 (25%) Departments of Medical Oncology filled our survey form. Indeed, 59 molecular laboratories were invited. A total of 41 laboratories (70%) filled in the questionnaire. From 2014 to 2017, 16 new molecular laboratories were activated. A total of 12,559 tests were performed in the year 2016, with a mean of 339 tests and a median of 254 tests per laboratory, showing a glimpse of an extreme low number of tests performed per year by some laboratories. In terms of the type and number of professionals involved in the pre- and post-test counseling, results among the onco-genetic team were heterogeneous. Our data show that the number of laboratories providing BRCA1/2 germline assays is significantly increased with further implementation of the somatic test coming soon. The harmonization of the complete laboratory diagnostic path should be encouraged, particularly in order to reduce the gap between laboratories with high and low throughput.