What needs to be submitted for Vidium to run SearchLight DNA™?
SearchLight DNA™ can be run on samples submitted in the following forms (and quantities):
- FFPE Scrolls (10–20 x 10-micron sections) with one adjacent H&E slide
- Unstained FFPE Slides (10–20 x 10-micron sections) with one adjacent H&E slide
- Fine Needle Aspirate (>5 unstained slides) with one Diff-Quick slide
- Decalcification of bone tumors (including osteosarcoma) often involves strong acids that can destroy DNA. If you are submitting a bony tumor for SearchLight DNA™ it is important that we obtain a sample that has not undergone decalcification in strong acid. Please submit a non-decalcified sample or allow us to coordinate with the pathology lab in order to determine if SearchLight DNA™ is feasible for that sample.
Please note that we can also process tissue in other less common formats such as a full paraffin block or fresh frozen tissue. Please inquire for more details.
How does SearchLight DNA™ work?
Searchlight DNA™ is an extensively validated, targeted next-generation sequencing assay. A tumor sample is sent from a veterinarian to the Vidium genomics laboratory where DNA is extracted. We then sequence the DNA using technology that identifies nearly 500,000 of the 2.8 billion individual letters (the As, Ts, Gs, and Cs of the DNA alphabet) in the tumor's DNA in order to find misspellings (mutations) that play a role in cancer. These mutations are then matched against a proprietary scientific database (derived from scientific literature and public genomic databases) and summarized in both a technical report for the veterinarian and also a condensed report for the pet owner.
When should I order SearchLight DNA™?
SearchLight DNA™ can be ordered at the time of biopsy or after histopathology is returned. SearchLight DNA™ can aid in diagnosis, prognosis, and/or treatment planning. It may help guide you in cases where treatment protocols are unclear/borderline or in cases where the veterinary team desires more data before recommending a course of treatment. Identification of predictive genomic biomarkers associated with targeted therapies, description of the context in which those therapies may be effective, and provision of the evidence to support those associations can assist you in considering integration of targeted therapies into treatment protocols. It may also help guide you in cases that have ambiguous or unclear histopathology. When a patient’s disease progresses amid therapy or when a new metastatic lesion displays unexpected or bizarre behavior, SearchLight DNA™ can help identify new mutations that could provide additional biomarker associations to inform a patient’s evolving clinical management. SearchLight DNA™ can help inform clinical decision-making in these cases, but every case is unique and other cases in which this test is helpful may exist. To talk with someone at Vidium to determine if SearchLight DNA™ is right for your patient, please contact us.
What is the expected turnaround time for a report?
9–12 days from receipt of the sample at the Vidium genomics laboratory.
Will there be someone for me to talk to about the report?
Yes. We understand that it may be helpful to discuss the report with our scientists, so we offer one-on-one phone consultations for veterinarians following delivery of your report free of charge.
When should I expect to pay for the test?
Once your sample's DNA has been extracted and checked for quality, you will be sent an invoice and request for payment through our secure payment portal. Payment must be received before a report can be delivered.