Training activity information
Details
Analyse and interpret genomic results from circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) testing in lung cancer.
Type
Developmental training activity (DTA)
Evidence requirements
Evidence the activity has been undertaken by the trainee.
Reflection on the activity at one or more time points after the event including learning from the activity and/or areas of the trainees practice for development.
An action plan to implement learning and/or to address skills or knowledge gaps identified.
Reflective practice guidance
The guidance below is provided to support reflection at different time points, providing you with questions to aid you to reflect for this training activity. They are provided for guidance and should not be considered as a mandatory checklist. Trainees should not be expected to provide answers to each of the guidance questions listed.
Before action
- What is your understanding of ctDNA testing in the context of lung cancer, including its applications and limitations?
- Are you familiar with the common genomic alterations that are typically tested and monitored using ctDNA in lung cancer?
- What are the key quality control metrics associated with ctDNA testing?
- How does the interpretation of ctDNA results differ from tissue-based genomic testing?
- Consider potential challenges you might face in interpreting negative or low-level ctDNA signals or discordant results between tissue and liquid biopsies.
- Review relevant literature and guidelines on ctDNA testing in lung cancer, including pre-analytical and analytical considerations.
- Consider potential difficulties you might face in interpreting complex ctDNA profiles and think about how you might seek further information or guidance.
In action
- Pay attention to your actions. How are you approaching the analysis of the ctDNA data? What specific metrics are you examining? Why are you focusing on particular variants? What decisions are you making about the significance of the findings in the context of ctDNA? What aspects of ctDNA interpretation feel intuitive, and what requires more conscious effort (e.g., considering the limitations of ctDNA)?
- How effective are your methods for identifying and interpreting clinically relevant information from the ctDNA data? What challenges are you encountering during this analysis (e.g. no varients detected, low variant allele frequency, unexpected findings)? What can you learn about interpreting ctDNA results as you work through the data? How does this activity connect to your understanding of lung cancer diagnostics and monitoring?
- Are there alternative ways you could be analysing the data to extract more meaningful information? Do you need to seek advice or further information about specific aspects of the ctDNA results at this time? Are you ensuring your interpretation is in line with current best practices for ctDNA analysis?
On action
- What did you notice when analysing and interpreting the genomic results from ctDNA testing in lung cancer? Summarise the key genomic alterations identified and any challenges encountered during the analysis.
- What specific knowledge or skills did you develop in analysing and interpreting ctDNA data, including understanding its limitations and clinical relevance in lung cancer? Were there any unexpected findings or difficulties with the data or interpretation process e.g., incidental germline findings and/or discrepancies with tissue testing results? What did you learn from these? Did any decisions you made during the analysis, such as focusing on specific variant types or quality metrics, impact your interpretation?
- What areas for further development in your ctDNA analysis and interpretation skills have been identified3? How can you apply the learning from this activity to future ctDNA data analysis? What actions will you take to enhance your skills, and what support or resources would be beneficial?
Beyond action
- Have you revisited your reflections on analysing and interpreting ctDNA results in lung cancer? How has your understanding of the nuances and challenges of ctDNA analysis evolved with further experience?
- How has this experience impacted your current practice in analysing genomic data? Are you more mindful of the specific quality metrics and limitations associated with ctDNA?
- How has this DTA contributed to your overall training experience, perhaps enhancing your understanding of liquid biopsies and their clinical utility?
- How has your ability to analyse ctDNA data developed since this activity, especially as new technologies and clinical applications emerge?
Relevant learning outcomes
| # | Outcome |
|---|---|
| # 2 |
Outcome
Analyse, interpret and prepare interpretive reports of clinically relevant findings for patients with central nervous system (CNS), sarcoma tumours, and somatic and germline variants in ovarian and breast cancer. |
| # 4 |
Outcome
Interpret QC data including bioinformatic and NGS quality metrics in relation to assay performance, EQA and ISO:15189 standards. |
| # 5 |
Outcome
Analyse, interpret and prepare interpretive reports for circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) testing in solid tumours, to include lung and breast cancer. |
| # 8 |
Outcome
Practice with relevant specialties for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients, and contribute to multidisciplinary team meetings. |