Florian Castet, Maria Teresa Salcedo, Paolo Nuciforo, Susana Aguilar, Ana Vivancos
{"title":"Best practices in sample management and molecular profiling of cholangiocarcinoma: a practical guide.","authors":"Florian Castet, Maria Teresa Salcedo, Paolo Nuciforo, Susana Aguilar, Ana Vivancos","doi":"10.1080/14737159.2025.2518145","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is an uncommon yet aggressive malignancy often diagnosed at advanced stages. Its management is challenged by significant molecular heterogeneity and limited treatment options. Advances in next-generation sequencing (NGS) have identified actionable alterations, such as FGFR2 fusions, thereby facilitating a precision oncology approach for CCA management.</p><p><strong>Areas covered: </strong>This review consolidates current evidence and expert insights on molecular profiling in CCA. It examines the histopathological subtypes and addresses diagnostic challenges associated with their diagnosis. Critical pre-analytical factors, including biopsy techniques, tissue handling, and tumor heterogeneity, are discussed in relation to their impact on molecular testing. The review also evaluates DNA-based versus RNA-based NGS methodologies, highlighting their strengths and limitations in detecting complex genomic alterations. The role of liquid biopsy as a minimally invasive tool for dynamic tumor monitoring is also explored.</p><p><strong>Expert opinion: </strong>The routine integration of molecular profiling for CCA requires the best histopathological diagnosis and pre-analytical preparation practices. Diagnostic workflows should prioritize meticulous tissue handling to ensure robust molecular analyses to avoid tissue exhaustion and preserve the integrity of nucleic acids. Employing DNA plus RNA sequencing platforms, supported by molecular tumor boards, is recommended to enhance patient stratification and guide therapeutic decision-making in CCA.</p>","PeriodicalId":12113,"journal":{"name":"Expert Review of Molecular Diagnostics","volume":" ","pages":"479-494"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6000,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Expert Review of Molecular Diagnostics","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14737159.2025.2518145","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2025/6/12 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"PATHOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Introduction: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is an uncommon yet aggressive malignancy often diagnosed at advanced stages. Its management is challenged by significant molecular heterogeneity and limited treatment options. Advances in next-generation sequencing (NGS) have identified actionable alterations, such as FGFR2 fusions, thereby facilitating a precision oncology approach for CCA management.
Areas covered: This review consolidates current evidence and expert insights on molecular profiling in CCA. It examines the histopathological subtypes and addresses diagnostic challenges associated with their diagnosis. Critical pre-analytical factors, including biopsy techniques, tissue handling, and tumor heterogeneity, are discussed in relation to their impact on molecular testing. The review also evaluates DNA-based versus RNA-based NGS methodologies, highlighting their strengths and limitations in detecting complex genomic alterations. The role of liquid biopsy as a minimally invasive tool for dynamic tumor monitoring is also explored.
Expert opinion: The routine integration of molecular profiling for CCA requires the best histopathological diagnosis and pre-analytical preparation practices. Diagnostic workflows should prioritize meticulous tissue handling to ensure robust molecular analyses to avoid tissue exhaustion and preserve the integrity of nucleic acids. Employing DNA plus RNA sequencing platforms, supported by molecular tumor boards, is recommended to enhance patient stratification and guide therapeutic decision-making in CCA.
期刊介绍:
Expert Review of Molecular Diagnostics (ISSN 1473-7159) publishes expert reviews of the latest advancements in the field of molecular diagnostics including the detection and monitoring of the molecular causes of disease that are being translated into groundbreaking diagnostic and prognostic technologies to be used in the clinical diagnostic setting.
Each issue of Expert Review of Molecular Diagnostics contains leading reviews on current and emerging topics relating to molecular diagnostics, subject to a rigorous peer review process; editorials discussing contentious issues in the field; diagnostic profiles featuring independent, expert evaluations of diagnostic tests; meeting reports of recent molecular diagnostics conferences and key paper evaluations featuring assessments of significant, recently published articles from specialists in molecular diagnostic therapy.
Expert Review of Molecular Diagnostics provides the forum for reporting the critical advances being made in this ever-expanding field, as well as the major challenges ahead in their clinical implementation. The journal delivers this information in concise, at-a-glance article formats: invaluable to a time-constrained community.