Molecular Diagnostics: Cancer Diagnosis and Patient Management

Overview

Learn Now: Advances in Molecular Diagnostics

In Molecular Diagnostics: Cancer Diagnosis and Patient Management, experts in the field review current concepts and up-to-date techniques, delving into the appropriate use of molecular assays for different tumor types to inform diagnosis, prognosis, or treatment using evidence-based guidelines.

Lectures in this online CME course illustrate common diagnostic pitfalls, with additional focus on variant interpretation and the complexity of billing for molecular tests. It’s continuing medical education that will help you to:

• Develop appropriate tissue-handling protocols
• Evaluate cytogenetic and molecular techniques, including next generation sequencing assays
• Recognize cost-effective, time-sensitive approaches to molecular studies, including cell free DNA testing
• Determine the process of clinical interpretation of genetic variation
• Analyze costs and potential sources of revenue for molecular diagnostics programs
• Consider essential and emerging biomarkers in common adult and pediatric solid and liquid tumors

Topics / Speakers

An Introduction to Molecular Diagnostics - Fei Dong, MD

Specimen Handling for Molecular Success - Lynette M. Sholl, MD

An Introduction to Cytogenetic Techniques - Azra Ligon, PhD

Question and Answer Session - Moderator - Valentina Nardi, MD; Drs. Dong, Sholl, and Ligon

An Introduction to Next Generation Sequencing - Laura MacConaill, PhD

An Introduction to Bioinformatic Pipelines for NGS - Ryan J. Schmidt, MD, PhD

Question and Answer Session - Moderator - Valentina Nardi, MD; Drs. MacConaill and Schmidt

An Introduction to Liquid Biopsy (Cell Free DNA Sequencing) - Technical Topics - Long Phi Le, MD, PhD

An Introduction to Liquid Biopsy (Cell Free DNA Sequencing) - Clinical Applications - Giulia Siravegna, PhD

Tumor Mutation Burden and Microsatellite Instability Testing - Jonathan Nowak, MD, PhD

Question and Answer Session - Moderator - Valentina Nardi, MD; Drs. Le, and Nowak

Live Advanced Workshop: Informatics - Long Phi Le, MD, PhD

Molecular Diagnostics for Breast Cancer - Deborah Dillon, MD

Molecular Diagnostics of Gynecologic Tumors - Lauren Ritterhouse, MD, PhD

Question and Answer Session - Moderator - Lynette M. Sholl, MD; Drs. Dillon and Ritterhouse

Molecular Diagnostics of Melanoma - Ryan J. Sullivan, MD

Molecular Diagnostics of Pediatric and Rare Tumors - Valentina Nardi, MD

Metastatic Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Tumor - Alanna Church, MD and Katherine Janeway, MD, MMSc

Question and Answer Session - Moderator - Lynette M. Sholl, MD; Drs. Church, Janeway and Sullivan

Clinical Interpretation of Sequence and Copy Number Variants (Cancer NGS) - Fei Dong, MD

Clinical Interpretation for Gene Fusions - Valentina Nardi, MD

Clinical Interpretation of Germline Cancer Predisposition - Diana Mandelker, MD, PhD

Question and Answer Session - Moderator - Lynette M. Sholl, MD; Drs. Dong, Mandelker, and Nardi

Live Advanced Workshop: Fusion Interpretation - Adam Fisch, MD, PhD

Hot Topics in Myeloid Neoplasms - Valentina Nardi, MD

Hot Topics in Measurable (Minimal) Residual Disease Testing - Annette S. Kim, MD, PhD

Targetable Fusions in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia - Marian H. Harris, MD, PhD

Question and Answer Session - Moderator - Lynette M. Sholl, MD; Drs. Harris, Nardi and Kim

Molecular Diagnostics for B-cell Lymphomas - Scott B. Lovitch, MD, PhD

Molecular Diagnostics for T-cell Lymphomas - David Weinstock, MD

Hematological Malignancy Case Presentation - Hanno Hock, MD, PhD and Valentina Nardi, MD

Question and Answer Session - Moderator - Lynette M. Sholl, MD; Drs. Lovitch, Nardi, Weinstock, and Hock

Molecular Diagnostics for Sarcomas - Adrian Marino-Enriquez, MD, PhD

Molecular Diagnostics for Gliomas - David Meredith, MD, PhD

Clinical Applications of Whole Genome DNA Methylation Profiling - Matija Snuderl, MD

Question and Answer Session - Moderator - Valentina Nardi, MD; Drs. Marino-Enriquez, Meredith, and Snuderl

Advanced Workshop: Copy Number by Microarray & NGS - Adrian Dubuc, PhD

Molecular Diagnostics for Lung Cancer - Lynette M. Sholl, MD

Molecular Diagnostics for Thyroid Cancer - Dora Dias-Santagata, PhD, FACMG

Question and Answer Session - Moderator - Valentina Nardi, MD; Drs. Dias-Santagata and Sholl

Molecular Biomarkers for GU Cancers - Atish Choudhury, MD, PhD

Molecular Diagnostics for GI Cancers - Jonathan Nowak, MD, PhD

Clinical Case Presentation and Discussion (Lung Tumor) - Mark M. Awad, MD, PhD and Lynette M. Sholl, MD

Question and Answer Session - Moderator - Valentina Nardi, MD; Drs. Awad, Sholl, Choudhury, and Nowak

Billing and Regulatory Issues - Jochen K. Lennerz, MD, PhD

Opportunities in Molecular Lab Management - Neal Lindeman, MD

Clinical Trials and Regulatory Affairs - Hetal Marble, PhD

Question and Answer Session - Moderator - Valentina Nardi, MD; Drs. Iafrate, Lennerz, Lindeman, and Marble

Faculty

Accreditation

The Harvard Medical School is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

AMA Credit Designation Statement

The Harvard Medical School designates this enduring material for a maximum of 18.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits.™ Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Date of Original Release: October 30, 2021

Termination Date: January 31, 2024 (Please note that AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ will no longer be issued for the activity after this date)
Estimated Time to Complete the Activity: 18.00 hours

CME credit is awarded upon successful completion of a course evaluation and post-test.

Disclosure Policy

Harvard Medical School (HMS) adheres to all ACCME Accreditation Criteria and Policies. It is HMS's policy that those who have influenced the content of a CME activity (e.g. planners, faculty, authors, reviewers and others) disclose all relevant financial relationships with commercial entities so that HMS may identify and resolve any conflicts of interest prior to the activity. These disclosures will be provided in the activity materials along with disclosure of any commercial support received for the activity. Additionally, faculty members have been instructed to disclose any limitations of data and unlabeled or investigational uses of products during their presentations.

Disclosure information for all individuals in control of the content of the activity is located on the disclosure statement in the PDF and printed syllabus.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants will be better able to:

• Develop appropriate tissue-handling protocols to facilitate molecular testing
• Evaluate cytogenetic and molecular techniques including different types of next generation sequencing assays
• Recognize cost-effective and time-sensitive approaches to molecular studies in cancer diagnostics, including implementation of cell free DNA testing
• Determine the process of the clinical interpretation of genetic variation
• Analyze the costs and potential sources of revenue for molecular diagnostics programs
• Consider essential and emerging molecular biomarkers in a range of common adult and pediatric solid and liquid tumors

ACGME Competencies

This course is designed to meet one or more of the following Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Competencies:

• Patient Care and Procedural Skills
• Medical Knowledge
• Practice-Based Learning and Improvement

Target Audience

This course will help pathologists, oncologists, and PhD-trained staff working in molecular diagnostic laboratories or in the pharmaceutical industry, as well as trainees in Oncology and Pathology.