Developing Consensus for a More Provider-Friendly Next Generation Sequencing Molecular Biomarker Report: A Joint Consensus Recommendation of the Association for Molecular Pathology and College of American Pathologists.

Abstract

Despite the increasing availability of next-generation sequencing (NGS) gene panel analysis for cancers, published reports suggest under-utilization of testing, citing the shortage of credentialed professionals available to assist with the interpretation of test results among the key barriers. Obtaining a multidisciplinary consensus regarding a shared best practice NGS molecular biomarker reporting section template may facilitate introduction and/or increased testing for institutions that adopt similar report structures by improving report effectiveness and efficiency for both healthcare providers and laboratory professionals, leading to improved patient care. To address this challenge, the Association for Molecular Pathology convened a multidisciplinary collaborative expert working group to identify and utilize best practices from current reporting guidelines and approaches to develop an NGS biomarker report template to optimally present complex molecular profiling information for efficient use by oncologists and other healthcare providers. Seventeen non-small cell lung cancer NGS biomarker reports from public, private, and academic laboratories were reviewed and specific components (e.g., report length, color use, formatting, presentation order of information, specific information included or omitted, tables, figures) assessed for their ability to be considered "provider-friendly." Based on this review, public and stakeholder input, available literature, and cumulative professional experience of the working group members, a guideline-concordant reporting template was developed based on expert opinion consensus and made freely available online with planned implementation assessment.