Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us

Download Mobile App




NanoString Technology Modernizes Liposarcoma Diagnostics

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 15 Feb 2021
A recently published study showed that a newer NanoString-based method could allow for more rapid and cost-efficient diagnosis of liposarcomas than the commonly used fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) method.

Liposarcoma is a rare type of cancer that arises in fat cells in soft tissue, such as that inside the thigh. More...
It is typically a large, bulky tumor, and tends to have multiple smaller satellites that extend beyond the main confines of the growth. Several types of liposarcoma exist. While some grow slowly with the cells remaining localized to one area of the body, other types grow very quickly and may metastasize.

In addition to FISH, which is a relatively expensive as well as labor- and equipment-intensive technology, immunohistochemistry (IHC) is often used to diagnose liposarcoma. However, IHC is felt to be inaccurate and hard to interpret.

To modernize the diagnosis of liposarcoma, investigators at the University of British Columbia (Vancouver, Canada) examined whether the newer NanoString-based technology (Seattle, WA, USA) could allow for more rapid and cost-efficient diagnosis of liposarcomas on standard formalin-fixed tissues through gene expression. For this study, they used large-scale transcriptome data from The Cancer Genome Atlas. The Cancer Genome Atlas is a project, begun in 2005, to catalog genetic mutations responsible for cancer, using genome sequencing and bioinformatics. The Cancer Genome Atlas applies high-throughput genome analysis techniques to improve diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of cancer through a better understanding of the genetic basis of this disease.

Data extracted from The Cancer Genome Atlas identified 20 genes, most from the 12q13-15 amplicon, that distinguished de-differentiated liposarcoma from other sarcomas and could be measured within a single NanoString assay. A machine learning model was subsequently developed to determine the probability that a given sample was positive for liposarcoma and was then applied to 45 retrospective cases to determine boundaries for positive and negative predictions. The effectiveness of the assay was validated on an independent set of 100 sarcoma samples (including 40 incident prospective cases), where histologic examination was considered insufficient for clinical diagnosis.

Results revealed that the NanoString assay had a 93% technical success rate, and an accuracy of 97.8% versus the FISH gold standard. Furthermore, results from the NanoString assay were available in 36 hours, whereas it required from one to two weeks to obtain FISH results.

"Liposarcomas are a type of malignant cancer that is difficult to diagnose because, even under a microscope, it is hard to differentiate liposarcomas from benign tumors or other types of cancer that need different treatments," said senior author Dr. Torsten Owen Nielsen, clinician-scientist in the department of pathology and laboratory medicine at the University of British Columbia. "Many liposarcomas look like their benign and relatively common counterparts, lipomas. Diagnostic delay and uncertainty cause severe stress for patients, and misdiagnosis can have many consequences including delayed or inadequate treatment or unnecessary surgical procedures and long-term postoperative follow up."

The liposarcoma-Nanostring study was published in the December 23, 2020 online edition of The Journal of Molecular Diagnosis.

Related Links:
University of British Columbia
NanoString



New
Gold Member
Immunochromatographic Assay
CRYPTO Cassette
Portable Electronic Pipette
Mini 96
New
Pipette
Accumax Smart Series
New
Hemodynamic System Monitor
OptoMonitor
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to LabMedica.com and get access to news and events that shape the world of Clinical Laboratory Medicine.
  • Free digital version edition of LabMedica International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of LabMedica International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of LabMedica International in digital format
  • Free LabMedica International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








Channels

Hematology

view channel
Image: New research points to protecting blood during radiation therapy (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Pioneering Model Measures Radiation Exposure in Blood for Precise Cancer Treatments

Scientists have long focused on protecting organs near tumors during radiotherapy, but blood — a vital, circulating tissue — has largely been excluded from dose calculations. Each blood cell passing through... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: The VENTANA HER2 (4B5) test is now CE-IVDR approved (Photo courtesy of Roche)

Companion Diagnostic Test Identifies HER2-Ultralow Breast Cancer and Biliary Tract Cancer Patients

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Europe, with more than 564,000 new cases and 145,000 deaths annually. Metastatic breast cancer is rising in younger populations and remains the leading cause... Read more

Pathology

view channel
Image: An adult fibrosarcoma case report has shown the importance of early diagnosis and targeted therapy (Photo courtesy of Sultana and Sailaja/Oncoscience)

Accurate Pathological Analysis Improves Treatment Outcomes for Adult Fibrosarcoma

Adult fibrosarcoma is a rare and highly aggressive malignancy that develops in connective tissue and often affects the limbs, trunk, or head and neck region. Diagnosis is complex because tumors can mimic... Read more

Technology

view channel
Image: Conceptual design of the CORAL capsule for microbial sampling in the small intestine (H. Mohammed et al., Device (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.device.2025.100904)

Coral-Inspired Capsule Samples Hidden Bacteria from Small Intestine

The gut microbiome has been linked to conditions ranging from immune disorders to mental health, yet conventional stool tests often fail to capture bacterial populations in the small intestine.... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.