Technical laboratory standards for interpretation and reporting of acquired copy-number abnormalities and copy-neutral loss of heterozygosity in neoplastic disorders: a joint consensus recommendation from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) and the Cancer Genomics Consortium (CGC).
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
9-2019
Identifier
DOI: 10.1038/s41436-019-0545-7
Abstract
The detection of acquired copy-number abnormalities (CNAs) and copy-neutral loss of heterozygosity (CN-LOH) in neoplastic disorders by chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) has significantly increased over the past few years with respect to both the number of laboratories utilizing this technology and the broader number of tumor types being assayed. This highlights the importance of standardizing the interpretation and reporting of acquired variants among laboratories. To address this need, a clinical laboratory-focused workgroup was established to draft recommendations for the interpretation and reporting of acquired CNAs and CN-LOH in neoplastic disorders. This project is a collaboration between the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) and the Cancer Genomics Consortium (CGC). The recommendations put forth by the workgroup are based on literature review, empirical data, and expert consensus of the workgroup members. A four-tier evidence-based categorization system for acquired CNAs and CN-LOH was developed, which is based on the level of available evidence regarding their diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic relevance: tier 1, variants with strong clinical significance; tier 2, variants with some clinical significance; tier 3, clonal variants with no documented neoplastic disease association; and tier 4, benign or likely benign variants. These recommendations also provide a list of standardized definitions of terms used in the reporting of CMA findings, as well as a framework for the clinical reporting of acquired CNAs and CN-LOH, and recommendations for how to deal with suspected clinically significant germline variants.
Journal Title
Genetics in medicine : official journal of the American College of Medical Genetics
Volume
21
Issue
9
First Page
1903
Last Page
1916
MeSH Keywords
DNA Copy Number Variations; Genetics, Medical; Genome, Human; Genomics; Humans; Laboratories; Loss of Heterozygosity; Microarray Analysis; Mutation; Neoplasms
Keywords
acquired variants; cancer; chromosomal microarray; copy-number abnormalities; interpretation
Recommended Citation
Mikhail FM, Biegel JA, Cooley LD, et al. Technical laboratory standards for interpretation and reporting of acquired copy-number abnormalities and copy-neutral loss of heterozygosity in neoplastic disorders: a joint consensus recommendation from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) and the Cancer Genomics Consortium (CGC). Genet Med. 2019;21(9):1903-1916. doi:10.1038/s41436-019-0545-7