The value of next-generation sequencing in routine diagnostics and management of patients with cytopenia

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

  • Marie Fredslund Breinholt
  • Kåre Nielsen
  • Lone Schejbel
  • Daniel El Fassi
  • Claudia Schöllkopf
  • Guy Wayne Novotny
  • Bo Kok Mortensen
  • Azhar Ahmad
  • Høgdall, Estrid Vilma Solyom
  • Peter Nørgaard

Introduction: We performed a single-center study of real-world health data to investigate the direct clinical consequence of targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) results integrated in the clinicopathological evaluation of patients with cytopenia suspected of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Methods: The study included 87 newly referred patients, who had a bone marrow examination, which included targeted NGS analysis. NGS was requested at the discretion of either examining pathologist or hematologist. Data were collected retrospectively from patient files including pathology reports with integrated NGS results. Results: The NGS results had a diagnostic impact in 67 cases (77%) when combining both histopathological and final clinical evaluation and provided prognostic value in 19 cases (22%). NGS supported a confident or tentative histopathological diagnosis in 52 cases (60%). Twenty cases (23%) had a final diagnosis of either Clonal Cytopenia of Undetermined Significance (CCUS) or Idiopathic Cytopenia of Undetermined Significance (ICUS). In 4 cases, NGS results affected the choice of principal treatment strategy, including considerations of allotransplantation. Twenty-one patients (24%) could be discharged to primary care physician. Conclusion: In a multidisciplinary clinicopathological real-world setting, NGS analysis of bone marrow samples from selected patients contributed substantially to the diagnostic evaluation and management of patients with cytopenia suspected of MDS. Consequently, we have now included NGS analysis in most routine bone marrow examinations from patients with MDS or unexplained cytopenia.

Original languageEnglish
JournalInternational Journal of Laboratory Hematology
Volume44
Issue number3
Pages (from-to)531-537
Number of pages7
ISSN1751-5521
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2022

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

    Research areas

  • hematology, myelodysplastic syndrome, next-generation sequencing, pathology, patient management, real-world data

ID: 308331452