Comprehensive Validation of Cytology Specimens for Next-Generation Sequencing and Clinical Practice Experience

Biopsy specimens are subjected to an expanding portfolio of assays that regularly include mutation profiling via next-generation sequencing (NGS). Specimens derived via fine-needle aspiration, a common biopsy technique, are subjected to a variety of cytopreparatory methods compared with surgical biopsies that are almost uniformly processed as formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue. Therefore, the fine-needle aspiration–derived specimens most commonly accepted for molecular analysis are cell blocks (CBs), because they are processed most similarly to surgical biopsy tissue.