Category Archives: Innovation

Time Matters on Health Tests [TAT-NGS]

We’re always competing with ourselves on improving turn around time (TAT) because we know patients depend on the results Most studies suggest that treatment delay leads to a worse outcome Patients with cancer who have to wait longer for treatment suffer from significant anxiety and stress Physicians and patients deserve to get the results of a diagnostic test, with the shortest possible turnaround time (TAT) When dealing with cancer, clinicians and patients need to know the results of molecular testing as soon as possible. Are you waiting 21-28 days to receive your NGS results? Genomic Testing Cooperative (GTC) is using disruptive technology and will report results within 7 days of […]

Dec 09

Looking for an answer quickly from your NGS provider?

Time Matters on Health Tests When dealing with cancer, clinicians and patients need to know the results of molecular testing as soon as possible. Are you waiting 21-28 days to receive your NGS results? Genomic Testing Cooperative (GTC) is using disruptive technology and will report results within 7 days of receiving the sample. GTC tests all coding sequence of 434 genes for solid tumors and 177 genes for hematology and provides a comprehensive report within 7 days from receiving a sample. Despite this extensive testing and comprehensive reporting, GTC manages to offer these panels at an affordable price. For more information on these two tests and others, check out our […]

Dec 06

CSI Laboratory is the first to offer 177 gene liquid biopsy for hematology

-a step forward to precision in cancer diagnostics- CSI LABORATORIES ADVANCES BY PARTNERING WITH DR. MAHER ALBITAR OF GENOMICS TESTING COOPERATIVE (GTC) Membership in the Co-op also makes CSI Laboratory the first to offer 177 gene liquid biopsy for hematology ALPHARETTA – CSI Laboratories, nationally renowned for its quality cancer diagnostics, goes a step forward to precision cancer diagnostics. Today announces its partnership with Genomic Testing Cooperative (GTC) in order to provide a new level of Next Generation Sequencing to the market. This partnership combines the gold standard in quality cancer diagnostics with advanced genomics technology – giving pathologists and oncologists access to the most comprehensive and detailed cancer data. This information also […]

Nov 30

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia | Just published: A consensus of North American experts

Recommendations for the assessment and management of measurable residual disease in adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia: A consensus of North American experts The vast majority of adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) achieve remission with standard chemotherapy regimens, but many of these patients ultimately relapse and die from leukemia. In these patients, relapse occurs despite achievement of morphologic remission (ie, bone marrow blasts <5%), suggesting that low levels of measurable residual disease (MRD), also called “minimal residual disease,” persist in the remission bone marrow (Figure 1). Compared with morphologic assessment alone, sensitive methods of MRD quantification can better estimate the reduction in posttreatment disease burden and provide information about the leukemia biology and treatment response of individual patients. Posttreatment MRD status […]

Nov 29

Eltrombopag Improves Hematopoiesis

Dr. Albitar’s molecular work is presented at the ASH meeting in oral and poster presentations Eltrombopag Improves Hematopoiesis in Patients with Low to Intermediate-2 Risk Myelodysplastic Syndrome(MDS) Program: Oral and Poster Abstracts | Saturday, December 1, 2018: 4:00 PM Session: 637. Myelodysplastic Syndromes—Clinical Studies: Novel Therapeutics I Eltrombopag (EPAG), a thrombopoietin receptor agonist, has been shown to improve hematopoiesis in patients with aplastic anemia (AA), but in MDS patients the effect of thrombopoietin mimetics in bone marrow function is still unclear. In this phase-2 dose escalation study, we investigated the safety and effectiveness of EPAG treatment in low to intermediate-2 risk MDS patients (NCT 00961064). Thirty patients were enrolled from March […]

Nov 29

Validation of Clinical Prognostic Models and Integration of Genetic Biomarkers | ASH ANNUAL MEETING ABSTRACT

Dr. Albitar’s molecular work is presented at the ASH meeting in oral and poster presentations. Validation of Clinical Prognostic Models and Integration of Genetic Biomarkers of Drug Resistance in CLL Patients Treated with Ibrutinib Program: Oral and Poster Abstracts | Monday, December 3, 2018: 11:45 AM Type: Oral Session: 642. CLL: Therapy, excluding Transplantation: Advances in CLL Using Novel Combination Therapy Introduction: We previously reported a prognostic scoring system in CLL using pre-treatment factors in patients treated with ibrutinib [Ahn et al, 2016 ASH Annual Meeting]. Here we present long-term follow-up results and validation of the prognostic models in a large independent cohort of patients. We also determine the incidence […]

Nov 28

Venetoclax in Combination with FLAG-IDA Chemotherapy (FLAG-V-I) for Fit | ASH ANNUAL MEETING ABSTRACT

Dr. Albitar’s molecular work is presented at the ASH meeting in oral and poster presentations Program: Oral and Poster Abstracts | Monday, December 3, 2018, 6:00 PM-8:00 PM Session: 616. Acute Myeloid Leukemia: Novel Therapy, excluding Transplantation: Poster III Background: Venetoclax (VEN) is a potent and selective small molecule BCL2 inhibitor, with activity both as a single agent in relapsed/refractory AML, and in frontline combinations with hypomethylating agents and low-dose cytarabine. The ability of VEN to reduce the apoptotic threshold indicates it may be effective in combination with genotoxic agents which induce apoptosis, such as the FLAG-IDA regimen. Objectives: A Phase 1b/2 clinical trial was designed to assess the safety […]

Nov 26

Acute Myeloid Leukemia | ASH Annual Meeting Abstract

Session: 613. Acute Myeloid Leukemia: Clinical Studies: Poster I Molecular Epidemiologic Associations in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) within the United States Dr. Albitar’s molecular work is presented at the ASH meeting in oral and poster presentations Saturday, December 1, 2018, 6:15 PM-8:15 PM | Hall GH (San Diego Convention Center) Background: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are heterogeneous groups of disorders with a spectrum of clinical presentations and outcomes. Prognosis depends on various factors including age, karyotype, performance status, previous treatments, and mutation status. Genetic profiling with next generation sequencing (NGS) is increasingly being used at diagnosis to detect presence of somatic mutations for […]

Nov 01

Press Release – Genomic Testing Cooperative

Genomic Testing Cooperative, a Limited Cooperative Association, Launches a New Platform for Affordable Genomic Cancer Profiling Irvine, California-November 1, 2018 – Genomic Testing Cooperative (GTC), a Limited Cooperative Association, announced today that it will offer multiple laboratory-developed genomic profiling tests for hematologic and solid tumors using next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology. The co-op provides a first of its kind platform for cooperation between commercial, hospital-based, and academic laboratories. This co-op structure allows the member laboratories to share resources and to participate in technological innovation and determining the type of tests being developed. In addition, the co-op provides economies of scale that reduce costs of innovation in NGS. The co-op model is […]

Sep 24

Deep Sequencing

Deep Sequencing of Cell-Free Peripheral Blood DNA as a Reliable Method for Confirming the Diagnosis of Myelodysplastic Syndrome. BACKGROUND: Demonstrating the presence of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)-specific molecular abnormalities can aid in diagnosis and patient management. We explored the potential of using peripheral blood (PB) cell-free DNA (cf-DNA) and next-generation sequencing (NGS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed NGS on a panel of 14 target genes using total nucleic acid extracted from the plasma of 16 patients, all of whom had confirmed diagnoses for early MDS with blasts <5%. PB cellular DNA from the same patients was sequenced using conventional Sanger sequencing and NGS. RESULTS: Deep sequencing of the cf-DNA identified one […]