Abstract
Objective : EGFR gene mutation analysis has been shown to be necessary to determine the management strategy in cases of non-small cell lung carcinoma. In some cases, presence/absence of EGFR gene mutations is analyzed using cytological specimens, however, studies on cytological sample preservation have not yet been reported. We studied the efficacy of EGFR gene mutation analysis carried out using residual specimens after LBC preserved at room temperature and preserved by traditional freeze preservation.
Study Design : A total of 24 cases diagnosed as having non-small cell lung carcinoma were enrolled in this study. The cytological specimens were divided into three portions ; one portion was used for cytology, one portion was preserved in PreservCyt® Solution (PCS) at room temperature, and one portion was freeze-dried at −80°C. The EGFR gene mutation was carried out by the PNA-LNA PCR CLAMP method.
Results : In the case of freeze preservation, a positive result was obtained in 12 cases, while in the case of PCS preservation, a positive result was obtained in 13 cases. Mismatch was observed in only 1 case between the two methods, and the concordance rate of the results was 96%.
Conclusion : PCS preservation at room temperature maintains the stability of cytological specimens as well as freeze preservation, therefore, it is suggested that preservation of the residual specimens after LBC in PCS would be useful for EGFR gene mutation analysis.
