Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40929615›Full record

Observational studyJCO precision oncology2025

Germline Findings From Tumor-Only Comprehensive Genomic Profiling in the RATIONAL Study: A Missed Opportunity?

Riziero Esposito Abate, Alessandro Morabito, Michele Milella, Fabrizio Tabbò, Valentina Guarneri, Giacomo Pelizzari, Ilario G Rapposelli, Rossana Berardi, Lucio Buffoni, Elisa Bennicelli and 15 more

Abstract readMulticenter StudyObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study 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 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. 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

25 authors.

Riziero Esposito AbateCell Biology and Biotherapy Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione G. Pascale, Napoli, Italy.
Alessandro MorabitoThoracic Department, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione G. Pascale, Napoli, Italy.
Michele MilellaU.O.C. Oncology, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata, University and Hospital Trust of Verona, Verona, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-3826-5237
Fabrizio TabbòMedical Oncology Unit, ASLCN2 Alba e Bra, Michele e Pietro Ferrero Hospital, Verduno, Italy.
Valentina GuarneriDepartment of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-2375-8397
Giacomo PelizzariDepartment of Oncology, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Friuli Centrale (ASUFC), Udine, Italy.
Ilario G RapposelliDepartment of Medical Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-1802-5671
Rossana BerardiDepartment of Oncology, Università Politecnica delle Marche, AOU delle Marche, Ancona, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-9529-2960
Lucio BuffoniMedical Oncology, Humanitas Gradenigo Hospital, Torino, Italy.
Elisa BennicelliU.O. Medical Oncology 2, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genova, Italy.
Francesca ZanelliMedical Oncology, Comprehensive Cancer Centre IRCCS-AUSL Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
Carlo TondiniOncology Unit, ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy.
Laura AttademoOncology Unit, Ospedale del Mare, Napoli, Italy.
Tiziana P LatianoMedical Oncology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-9730-5668
Salvatore CoralloDepartment of Internal Medicine and Medical Therapy, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-6672-0233
Giancarlo PruneriSchool of Medicine and Department of Diagnostic Innovation, Fondazione IRCCS, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, University of Milan, Milano, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-7963-7172
Federica MarmorinoDepartment of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-7725-3434
Orazio CaffoDepartment of Medical Oncology, Santa Chiara Hospital-APSS, Trento, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-7968-2531
Lorenzo AntonuzzoDepartment of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Firenze, Italy.
Simona TessitoreCell Biology and Biotherapy Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione G. Pascale, Napoli, Italy.
Silvia NovelloDepartment of Oncology, University of Turin, S. Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, Torino, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-7653-9748
Giuseppe CuriglianoEuropean Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milano, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-1781-2518
Carmine PintoMedical Oncology, Comprehensive Cancer Centre IRCCS-AUSL Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-3159-5268
Nicola NormannoScientific Directorate, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-7158-2605
Antonella De LucaCell Biology and Biotherapy Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione G. Pascale, Napoli, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-5762-447X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTumor comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) may detect potential germline pathogenic/likely pathogenic (P/LP) alterations as secondary findings. We analyzed the frequency of potentially germline variants and large rearrangements (LRs) in the RATIONAL study, an Italian multicenter, observational clinical trial that collects next-generation sequencing-based tumor profiling data, and evaluated how these findings were managed by the enrolling centers. PATIENTS AND

methodsPatients prospectively enrolled in the pathway-B of the RATIONAL study and undergoing CGP with the FoundationOne CDx assays were included in the analysis. Potentially germline variants detected in 40 cancer susceptibility genes (CSGs) were classified in three classes with different actionability, most (MA), high (HA), and standard (SA), on the basis of penetrance, mutational spectrum, and intervention for prevention/early detection.

resultsOn the basis of the European Society of Medical Oncology recommendations, we identified 225 potentially germline P/LP variants in 193/1,339 (14.4%) enrolled patients. In particular, 62/225 (27.5%) variants were detected in genes classified as MA-CSG class, 53/225 (23.6%) in genes belonging to the HA-CSG class, and 110/225 (48.9%) in the SA-CSG class. In addition, we detected 58 LRs in the 16/40 CSGs in 53/1,339 (3.95%) patients. Information about germline-focused analysis and follow-up was available for 99 patients with potentially germline variants. Surprisingly, 95/99 (96%) patients were not referred to oncogenetic consultation and follow-up, including 30/32 (93.75%) patients with variants in the MA-CSG class.

conclusionOur data confirm the utility of CGP for the identification of potentially germline variants in CSGs, highlighting the importance of reporting LRs in addition to single-nucleotide variants and insertions/deletions. However, our findings also demonstrate a relative lack of knowledge of the implications of germline findings detected on tumor-only sequencing among oncologists and underline the need for specific training in this area.

Indexed as

Germ-Line MutationNeoplasmsAdultAgedFemaleGenetic Predisposition to DiseaseGenomicsHigh-Throughput Nucleotide SequencingHumansItalyMaleMiddle AgedProspective Studies

Identifiers

PMID40929615
PMCPMC12419028

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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.