Comprehensive Genomic Testing: Tissue Stewardship and Best Practices

Biomarker-driven targeted therapies have shaped the oncology treatment landscape for patients with advanced solid tumors over the past decade. Comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) has played a key role in precision medicine as it enables simultaneous identification of multiple biomarkers to guide cancer diagnosis, therapy selection, and prognostication. As a result, tissue stewardship for successful CGP testing is paramount. In addition, widespread adoption of less invasive sampling techniques leaves less diagnostic tissue for additional or future testing as smaller biopsies are acquired. To help oncology care practitioners overcome these challenges, this paper provides an overview of current genomic testing methodologies and offers guidelines on best practices for tissue stewardship and preanalytic practices for successful CGP testing and efficient turnaround times for laboratory tests.