Mass General Brigham researchers developed and evaluated a rapid genotyping test for patients who present with a central nervous system lesion, eliminating the need for an invasive surgical biopsy in seven cases and cutting time to diagnosis from 10 days to 2.
Mass General Brigham neurosurgeons, oncologists and pathologists came together to create a rapid genotyping test to detect genetic signatures of several types of central nervous system tumors from cerebrospinal fluid.
In an analysis of 70 patients, the test accelerated time to diagnosis, accurately identified 42 percent of patients with newly diagnosed central nervous system tumors and returned no false positives.
The rapid test eliminated the need for a brain biopsy for seven patients, allowing clinicians to initiate treatment faster while monitoring and adjusting therapy according to a patient’s response.
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