Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40440583›Full record

ArticleJCO precision oncology2025

Clinical Implementation of Expanded Solid Tumor Fusion Detection With Whole-Transcriptome Sequencing at an Academic Cancer Center.

Edward G Hughes, Drew T Bergman, Donald C Green, Shrey S Sukhadia, Joel A Lefferts, Jeremiah X Karrs, Rutu S Vyas, Zofia Cieslak, Jennifer N Barbuto, Nevena B Ognjenovic and 4 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in JCO precision oncology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Edward G HughesLaboratory for Clinical Genomics and Advanced Technologies, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH.
Drew T BergmanDepartment of Radiation Oncology and Applied Sciences, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH.ORCID 0000-0002-8314-7088
Donald C GreenLaboratory for Clinical Genomics and Advanced Technologies, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH.
Shrey S SukhadiaLaboratory for Clinical Genomics and Advanced Technologies, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH.ORCID 0009-0009-1168-1060
Joel A LeffertsLaboratory for Clinical Genomics and Advanced Technologies, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH.
Jeremiah X KarrsLaboratory for Clinical Genomics and Advanced Technologies, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH.
Rutu S VyasLaboratory for Clinical Genomics and Advanced Technologies, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH.
Zofia CieslakGeisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH.
Jennifer N BarbutoLaboratory for Clinical Genomics and Advanced Technologies, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH.ORCID 0000-0002-8253-6591
Nevena B OgnjenovicLaboratory for Clinical Genomics and Advanced Technologies, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH.
Brianna E PalisoulLaboratory for Clinical Genomics and Advanced Technologies, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH.
Gregory J TsongalisLaboratory for Clinical Genomics and Advanced Technologies, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH.
Laura J TafeLaboratory for Clinical Genomics and Advanced Technologies, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH.ORCID 0000-0001-9613-641X
Parth S ShahLaboratory for Clinical Genomics and Advanced Technologies, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH.ORCID 0000-0003-0726-0764

Funding

Translational Engineering in Cancer (TEC)P30CA023108 · NCI · DARTMOUTH COLLEGE · PI Fred W Kolling IV · 1985 to 2026
$91.3M
NCI NIH HHS P30 CA023108
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeChromosomal rearrangements drive tumorigenesis through fusion transcripts. Clinical whole-transcriptome sequencing (WTS) enables comprehensive fusion detection, overcoming limitations of targeted methods, but its clinical application has been hindered by technical and cost barriers.

methodsWe validated a clinical bait-capture WTS assay using 78 solid tumor samples across diverse tissue types, including 59 with known fusions or oncogenic splice variants. Sensitivity was assessed against clinically reported fusions from targeted next-generation sequencing or fluorescence in situ hybridization. Analytical performance was evaluated for sensitivity, specificity, limit of detection, and reproducibility across varying RNA inputs and sequencing conditions. Clinical implementation data were also analyzed.

resultsWTS demonstrated a sensitivity of 97.1% and a specificity of 100% for detecting clinically relevant fusions. Detection was robust across tumor types, with RNA input as low as 1 ng. Optimized sequencing thresholds of 60 million reads and 130-bp read length improved performance. The assay was highly reproducible and resistant to common contaminants. Over 6 months of clinical use (410 specimens), WTS identified 29 fusions (7% detection rate), including six clinically relevant fusions undetectable by our institution's previous targeted panel, increasing the fusion yield by 26%.

conclusionWTS provides high sensitivity, specificity, and expanded fusion detection, supporting its routine clinical adoption. Future work will explore its broader role in integrated genomic profiling and therapeutic guidance.

Indexed as

NeoplasmsTranscriptomeAcademic Medical CentersHigh-Throughput Nucleotide SequencingHumansReproducibility of ResultsSensitivity and Specificity

Identifiers

PMID40440583
PMCPMC12129359

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.