Molecular Testing in Gliomas: What is Necessary in Routine Clinical Practice?

Purpose of review: A number of molecular characteristics are essential for accurate diagnosis and prognostication in glioma.

Recent findings: The 2021 WHO classification of brain tumors and recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) pathology agnostic drug approvals highlight the importance of molecular testing in the management of glioma. For diffuse gliomas, it is important to identify IDH mutations, given the favorable clinical behavior and potential for using FDA approved IDH inhibitors in the near future. MGMT promoter methylation testing is the most established molecular marker for response to temozolomide in IDH wild-type glioblastoma and in turn impacts overall survival. Moreover, identification of certain mutations and molecular markers, such as BRAF V600E, hypermutation or elevated tumor-mutational burden and NTRK fusions allow for the use of FDA approved agents that are tumor-agnostic. Finally, molecular testing opens options for clinical trials that are essential for diseases with limited treatment options like gliomas.