Colorectal cancer and BRAF V600E testing: Recording now available
Approximately 8-12% of mCRC harbour a BRAF V600E mutation, and the evolving pathological and diagnostic landscape highlights the need to optimise BRAF testing in mCRC.
Our recent Lab Talk with Professor Matteo Fassan, MD, PhD, explores the molecular biology of BRAF mutations and their role in colorectal cancer. The session covers the heterogeneous landscape of BRAF mutations and the clinical relevance of BRAF V600E, especially in guiding treatment decisions in mCRC. To further support labs in BRAF testing, Prof. Fassan discusses the current diagnostic scenario and compares and analyses different molecular techniques for optimal testing and reporting.
Watch the recording now!
The accurate and early BRAF testing holds significant clinical utility in mCRC due to the strong prognostic impact of BRAF V600E mutation and its relevance in informing the therapeutic strategy. However, the heterogeneity in the methodologies used for mutational assessment could impact the turnaround time, validity, and clinical utility of the results, leading to treatment delays for eligible patients.
Labs should consider the following recommendations for mCRC in routine diagnostics:
- The BRAF mutation is associated with a poor prognosis in colorectal cancer patients, and the mutation analysis at the initial diagnosis of mCRC is fundamental to guide therapeutic strategy and ultimately improve patient outcome
- Choosing the right molecular technique is key to optimise BRAF testing. The choice of assay impacts the turnaround time (TAT) significantly, with effects on timely diagnosis, patient treatment and ultimately outcome
- Proper report writing by pathologists, taking into account site-specific aspects of the organisation and maintain a TAT of below 10 days is essential. It is paramount to keep the end user in mind to improve communication, interpretation, and access of patients to precision therapies
Access this Lab Talk by Professor Fassan to deep dive into these topics and learn more about BRAF testing in mCRC.
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Speaker: Professor Matteo Fassan (MD, PhD)
Dr. Matteo Fassan (MD, PhD) is a Professor of Pathology at Padua University and the Director of the Pathology department of the hospital Ca’ Foncello, ULSS2 Marca Trevigiana, Italy. Previously, he served as a Chief of the Molecular Pathology Diagnostics Unit of the Padua University Hospital. Furthermore, he is a coordinator of the Italian Group of the Pathologists of the Gastrointestinal Tract of the SIAPeC-IAP (GIPAD).
His research mainly focuses on the histological and molecular characterization of pre-neoplastic and neoplastic gastrointestinal pathology, with a peculiar effort on biomarker testing. On these topics, he is actively involved in clinical and translational research projects and has authored and co-authored approximately 600 peer-reviewed publications.