TY - JOUR
T1 - BRCA testing in a genomic diagnostics referral center during the COVID-19 pandemic
AU - Minucci, Angelo
AU - Scambia, Giovanni
AU - Santonocito, Concetta
AU - Concolino, Paola
AU - Urbani, Andrea
N1 - Funding Information:
We would like to thank Franziska M. Lohmeyer for critically reviewing and editing our manuscript. In addition, we would like to thank Maria De Bonis, Elisa De Paolis, Giorgia Mazzuccato, Roberta Rizza, Maria Elisabetta Onori and Laura Foca for their work dedication even in this particular moment we are experiencing.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020, Springer Nature B.V.
Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2020/6/1
Y1 - 2020/6/1
N2 - The first person-to-person transmission of the 2019-novel coronavirus in Italy on 21 February 2020 led to an infection chain that represents one of the largest known COVID-19 outbreaks outside Asia. Hospitals have been forced to reorganized their units in response to prepare for an unforeseen healthcare emergency. In this context, our laboratory (Molecular and Genomic Diagnostics Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS) re-modulated its priorities by temporarily interrupting most of the molecular tests guaranteeing only those considered “urgent” and not postponable. In particular, this paper details changes regarding the execution of germline BRCA (gBRCA) testing in our laboratory. A substantial reduction in gBRCA testing (about 60%) compared to the first 2 months of the current year was registered, but the requests have not been reset. The requesting physicians were mainly gynaecologists and oncologists. These evidences further emphasize the new era of gBRCA testing in the management of cancer patients and confirms definitively the integration of gBRCA testing/Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) into clinical oncology. Finally, a re-organization of gBRCA testing in our Unit, mainly related to delayed and reduced arrival of tests was necessary, ensuring, however, a high-quality standard and reliability, mandatory for gBRCA testing in a clinical setting.
AB - The first person-to-person transmission of the 2019-novel coronavirus in Italy on 21 February 2020 led to an infection chain that represents one of the largest known COVID-19 outbreaks outside Asia. Hospitals have been forced to reorganized their units in response to prepare for an unforeseen healthcare emergency. In this context, our laboratory (Molecular and Genomic Diagnostics Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS) re-modulated its priorities by temporarily interrupting most of the molecular tests guaranteeing only those considered “urgent” and not postponable. In particular, this paper details changes regarding the execution of germline BRCA (gBRCA) testing in our laboratory. A substantial reduction in gBRCA testing (about 60%) compared to the first 2 months of the current year was registered, but the requests have not been reset. The requesting physicians were mainly gynaecologists and oncologists. These evidences further emphasize the new era of gBRCA testing in the management of cancer patients and confirms definitively the integration of gBRCA testing/Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) into clinical oncology. Finally, a re-organization of gBRCA testing in our Unit, mainly related to delayed and reduced arrival of tests was necessary, ensuring, however, a high-quality standard and reliability, mandatory for gBRCA testing in a clinical setting.
KW - BRCA genes
KW - Coronavirus disease 2019
KW - COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
KW - Germline BRCA testing
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U2 - 10.1007/s11033-020-05479-3
DO - 10.1007/s11033-020-05479-3
M3 - Article
C2 - 32388698
AN - SCOPUS:85084354310
VL - 47
SP - 4857
EP - 4860
JO - Molecular Biology Reports
JF - Molecular Biology Reports
SN - 0301-4851
IS - 6
ER -