NIH, National Cancer Institute, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis (DCTD) NIH - National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute DCTD - Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis

Concurrent fine needle aspirations and core needle biopsies: a comparative study of substrates for next-generation sequencing in solid organ malignancies.

Author(s): Roy-Chowdhuri S, Chen H, Singh RR, Krishnamurthy S, Patel KP, Routbort MJ, Manekia J, Barkoh BA, Yao H, Sabir S, Broaddus RR, Medeiros LJ, Staerkel G, Stewart J, Luthra R

Publication: Mod Pathol, 2017, Vol. 30, Page 499-508

PubMed ID: 28084342 PubMed Review Paper? No

Purpose of Paper

This paper compared the cellularity, tumor content, DNA yield, and next generation sequencing (NGS) results in matched fine-needle aspiration (FNA) and core needle biopsies (CNB).

Conclusion of Paper

FNA specimens had significantly higher cellularity and tumor fraction than CNB, regardless of tumor type or location.  FNA specimens had lower DNA yield than matched CNB specimens but higher average coverage for the panel as a whole and for nine genes of interest. Importantly, all somatic mutations found in FNA specimens were also found in the matched CNB.

Studies

  1. Study Purpose

    This study compared the cellularity and tumor content of 100 matched FNA and CNB specimens and investigated the effects of neoplasm type (adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, poorly differentiated carcinoma, or neuroendocrine carcinoma/small cell carcinoma) and location. Two to three FNA specimens were obtained using 20-25 gauge (G) needles under computed tomography (CT) or ultrasound guidance with a 17-19 G guide needle. Three to four cores were obtained using the guide needle with a 16-20 G needle. The FNA was obtained first for most tumors but the CNB was obtained first for subcentimeter tumors. FNA specimens were smeared and Diff-Quik and Papanicolaou stained. CNB slides were prepared and H&E stained. Cellularity was described as high for >5000 cells per FNA slide or >2000 cells per CNB slide, moderate for 1000-5000 cells per FNA slide or 300-2000 cells per CNB slide and low for <1000 cells per FNA slide or <300 cells per CNB slide. Tumor fraction was determined independently by two cytopathologists and then reviewed together in cases with >10% discordance. 

    Summary of Findings:

    In 100 matched specimens, the cellularity of FNA was more likely than CNB to be defined as high (60% versus 15%) and less likely to be defined as moderate (33% versus 58%) or low (7% versus 27%). Further, the overall cellularity was significantly higher in FNA specimens than in matched CNB specimens (P<0.001), and this held true when broken down by diagnosis (adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, poorly differentiated carcinoma, and neuroendocrine carcinoma/small cell carcinoma) and lesion site. Further, a higher percentage of FNA than CNB specimens had >40% tumor fraction (83% versus 54%) and a lower percentage had <20% tumor (14% versus 2%, P<0.001). Importantly, the majority of the CNB specimens with low <25% tumor fraction had matched FNA with high or moderate cellularity.

    Biospecimens
    Preservative Types
    • Ethanol
    • Formalin
    Diagnoses:
    • Neoplastic - Carcinoma
    Platform:
    AnalyteTechnology Platform
    Morphology Light microscopy
    Morphology H-and-E microscopy
    Pre-analytical Factors:
    ClassificationPre-analytical FactorValue(s)
    Biospecimen Acquisition Method of tissue acquisition Core needle biopsy
    Fine needle aspiration
    Preaquisition Diagnosis/ patient condition Adenocarcinoma
    Squamous cell carcinoma
    Poorly differentiated carcinoma
    Neuroendocrine carcinoma
    Small cell carcinoma
    Biospecimen Acquisition Biospecimen location Lung
    Liver
    Bone/soft tissue
    Lymph node
    Other
  2. Study Purpose

    This study compared the tumor content, DNA yield, and NGS sequencing coverage of 100 matched FNA and CNB specimens.  Matched image-guided CNB and FNA specimens from 17 adenocarcinomas, four carcinomas not specified, two squamous cell carcinomas, and one melanoma. Two to three FNA specimens were obtained using 20-25 G needles under computed tomography (CT) or ultrasound guidance with a 17-19 G guide needle.  Three to four cores were obtained using the guide needle with a 16-20 G needle. The FNA was obtained first for most tumors but the CNB was obtained first for subcentimeter tumors. FNA specimens were smeared and Diff-Quik and Papanicolaou stained. CNB slides were prepared and H&E stained. Tumor fraction was determined independently by two cytopathologists and then reviewed together in cases with >10% discordance. DNA was extracted from tumor-enriched areas of smears and FFPE sections using PicoPure. DNA was quantified using Qubit. NGS was conducted on an Ion Torrent using the Ampliseq Cancer panel primers.

    Summary of Findings:

    H&E stained CNB sections had lower estimated tumor fraction compared to stained FNA smears (39% versus 54%, P=0.003) but higher DNA yield (17.5 ng/µL versus 6.6 ng/µL, P=0.01).  FNA specimens had higher average coverage for the panel as a whole (50 genes) and for nine selected genes of interest than matched CNB specimens (2177 reads verses 1785 reads, P=0.025 and 2415 versus 1933 reads, P=0.014, respectively). More under-performing amplicons occurred in CNB than FNA specimens (2.25 versus 0.46, significance not specified). Importantly, all somatic mutations found in FNA specimens were also found in the matched CNB.

     

    Biospecimens
    Preservative Types
    • Ethanol
    • Formalin
    Diagnoses:
    • Neoplastic - Melanoma
    • Neoplastic - Carcinoma
    Platform:
    AnalyteTechnology Platform
    DNA Fluorometry
    Morphology Light microscopy
    Morphology H-and-E microscopy
    DNA Next generation sequencing
    Pre-analytical Factors:
    ClassificationPre-analytical FactorValue(s)
    Biospecimen Acquisition Method of tissue acquisition Core needle biopsy
    Fine needle aspiration

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