The implementation of molecular tumor profiling in the practice of pediatric cancer pathology: The pathologists’ experience

Background

The increased accessibility and utilization of molecular testing including next-generation sequencing (NGS) has impacted the practice of pediatric pathology, with diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic implications for our patients. This survey is the first to describe the utilization of molecular testing in the routine practice of pediatric pathology for the care of children with known or suspected solid tumors.

Procedure

The Society for Pediatric Pathology Practice Committee distributed a survey to our membership asking 25 questions about training, practice setting, molecular ordering practices, and barriers to testing.

Results

Seventy-five pathologists responded to the survey. The survey provides valuable insight into the current use of molecular testing for the care of children with known or suspected solid tumors. Most respondents reported that they are increasingly using a variety of molecular techniques, with increased use over time, and that NGS is useful.

Conclusions

These results highlight a variety of barriers to molecular testing, including cost, insurance coverage, turnaround time, limitations of available assays (including limited coverage of pediatric-specific alterations), and difficulty in determining the most appropriate test to order. These data may be useful in supporting pediatric pathologists in their practice.