• Test Code:
    5270
  • Department:
  • Test Synonyms:
    PIK3CAPI3 Kinase
  • CPT Code(s):
    81309
Background:

Screening for mutations in oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes is increasingly important in delivering personalized cancer care. In both pre-clinical studies and recent clinical trials, mutations in the PIK3CA gene have been associated with increased sensitivity to inhibitors of the PI3 kinase pathway.

Recommended Use:  This test is used to screen for the most common activating mutations in the alpha subunit of PI3 kinase.

Methodology:

PIK3CA mutation screening is performed on DNA from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor tissue by Sanger sequencing of exons 9 and 20.

Specimen Requirements:

  • A paraffin block or
  • 10 unstained sections of tumor (4-5 microns) (15 sections for small biopsies)

Contact Client Services for shipping materials and procedures at (855)535-1522.

A REQUISITION FORM MUST ACCOMPANY ALL SAMPLES.  Please include
detailed clinical information.

Test Performed (Days):

Twice per week

Turn Around Time:

10 - 14 days

Shipment Sensitivity Requirements:

  • Keep specimen cool during transit. Do not ship on dry ice.
  • Please use the cold pack provided in the KDL shipping kit.
  • Ship the specimen overnight express, using the FedEx priority overnight label provided. 
  • Contact Client Services for shipping materials and procedures at (855) 535-1522.

References:

1. Janku F, Wheler JJ, Naing A, Stepanek VM, Falchook GS, Fu S, Garrido-Laguna I, Tsimberidou AM, Piha-Paul SA, Moulder SL, Lee JJ, Luthra R, Hong DS, Kurzrock R. PIK3CA mutations in advanced cancers: characteristics and outcomes. Oncotarget 2012 Dec;3(12):1566-75.

Additional Info:

The Knight Cancer Institute at Oregon Health & Science University is a pioneer in the field of precision cancer medicine. The institute's director, Brian Druker, M.D., helped prove it was possible to shut down just the cells that enable cancer to grow. This breakthrough has made once-fatal forms of the disease manageable and transformed how cancer is treated. The OHSU Knight Cancer Institute is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center between Sacramento and Seattle – an honor earned only by the nation's top cancer centers. It is headquarters for one of the National Cancer Institute's largest research collaboratives, SWOG, in addition to offering the latest treatments and technologies as well as hundreds of research studies and clinical trials.

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