Somatic Solid Tumour Panel

The Somatic Solid Tumour Panel (SSTP) NGS assay offered by ATOM can be used to concurrently screen for gene alterations in mutational hotspots and targeted regions in 15 to 18 genes frequently implicated in lung cancers, colorectal cancers, gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs), melanomas and other solid tumours, where tyrosine kinase receptor-directed therapy has been shown to be efficacious. The selection of patients using molecular profiling greatly enhances the outcomes of treatment where the use of targeted therapy is guided by the presence or absence of certain variants. Prior screening of tumours for such variants would therefore allow physicians to make an informed decision on the best treatment regimen for each patient.

While the assay is subdivided into Lung, Colon and Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumour (GIST) / Melanoma panels for these tumour types, other tumour types can also be tested using any of these panels as long as the relevant genes of interest are covered. For example, mutational testing for PIK3CA, AKT1 and PTEN in breast cancers or IDH1, IDH2 and BRAF in brain tumours can be performed using the SSTP Lung panel as these genes are included in the panel. Similarly, POLE testing for endometrial cancers can also be performed using the SSTP Lung panel as it covers the POLE gene.

Click here to view more details on SSTP assay including the full list of gene coverage.

Unstained formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue sections on uncoated slides (8 sections of 8 µm thickness for large resection / excision specimens or 15 sections of 5 µm thickness for small biopsy specimens) together with 1 H&E slide for each specimen will be required for this assay. Sections from cell block specimens are also acceptable (15 sections of 5 µm thickness). The tissue/cell block sections must contain at least 20% of tumour cells.

Paraffin embedded tissue blocks are also accepted.

DNA is accepted only if FFPE tissue is not available. The laboratory only accepts DNA that is extracted or isolated in a CAP-accredited or CLIA-certified laboratory. Please call the lab for additional details.

​Specimens should be sent to 20 College Road, Academia building, Diagnostic Tower Level 10, Histopathology Lab, Department of Anatomical Pathology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore 169856. 

Any queries can be directed to the Anatomical Molecular Laboratory (ATOM) at (65) 6576 7191 or Histopathology Laboratory at (65) 6321 4956.

In-house developed multiplexed polymerase-chain reaction (PCR) with 2 primer pools for the detection of gene variants in hotspots and targeted regions of 15 to 18 genes.

Gene variants (single nucleotide variants and short insertions/deletions) are detected by this assay. This assay does not cover copy number variations (CNVs), gene fusions or other genomic alterations.

10 working days. Up to 15 working days if repeat testing is required due to specimen quality issues.