Multiplex genomic test of mutation and fusion genes in small biopsy specimen of lung cancer

We evaluated multiple oncogenic mutations and fusion genes in small specimen obtained by bronchoscopy. Eight patients with lung cancer were recruited, 3 small cell lung cancer, 3 non-small cell lung cancer, 1 adenocarcinoma and 1 squamous cell carcinoma. A median value of extracted RNA and DNA amounts from specimen was 1573 ng (range 367.5 to 8900) and 6700 ng (range 550 to 68000 ng), respectively. We applied amplicon sequencing panels that cover exon regions of 41 genes related to lung tumorigenesis as well as total 61 major variants of ALK, ROS, RET or NTRK1 fusion transcripts. Nineteen of 41 gene mutations were detected in our isolated DNAs of 8 patients. We could detect four to eleven mutations in each specimen; however the mutation combination in each 8 patients were different. The most common genetic alterations were TP53, KMT2D, MET, NOTCH2 and SETD2, which were detected in 4 to 6 patients. We did not detect fusion transcripts of ALK, ROS, RET and NTRK1 in every specimen. In conclusion, multiplex genomic test was performed on small amounts specimen of bronchoscopy biopsy with a 100% success rate. Such testing is considered to be able to assist physicians in matching patients with approved or experimental targeted treatments.