title: The feasibility of molecular testing on cell blocks created from brush tip washings in the assessment of peripheral lung lesions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  With the rapid development of genotype-guided therapies, molecular testing is becoming important in the management of lung cancer. Bronchoscopy is one of the most common investigations performed to diagnose and investigate lung cancer. Given the limited samples often produced by bronchoscopy, this study aims to evaluate the feasibility of performing molecular testing on cell blocks created from bronchoscope cytology brush tip washings (BTW).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with positive brush cytology for tumour cells had cell blocks created from the BTW. Mutations were detected using amplicon-based massively parallel sequencing of targeted regions ofEGFR, KRAS,andBRAFgenes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 45 patients were included in this study. Of those, 91% had adequate specimens for molecular analysis and 66% of patients with adenocarcinoma had mutations detected. Bronchial brush tip wash cell blocks were the sole specimen available for molecular testing in 27 (60%) patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of this study demonstrate that molecular testing can be performed on cell blocks created from BTW and this technique may allow for an increase in bronchoscope specimens amenable to molecular testing without further increasing morbidity and mortality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Asha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bonney
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Australia;; Department of Pathology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Christie
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Beaty
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lunke
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Graham
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Louis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Irving
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Australia;; Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Steinfort
keywords: Lung cancer; bronchoscopy; brush tip washings (BTW); cell blocks; molecular testing