Anthony M. Magliocco, MD, chair of pathology, executive director of esoteric labs at Moffitt Cancer Center, discusses the difficulties of analyzing the genome of melanoma tumors.

Although physicians can now do thorough analyses of the genome, certain tumors, including melanoma tumors, have high mutational loads. This makes it difficult to determine which mutations cause the tumors and which mutations are “passenger mutations,” Magliocco says.

Magliocco speculates that melanoma tumors have more mutations because of sun exposure or mechanisms of DNA repair that cause tumors to acquire more mutations.

In order to determine if the mutations are significant or not, Magliocco says, a molecular biologist looks to see if the mutations occur on an important gene, the mutation is impacting a function of the protein, or if the mutation biologically makes sense to cause the tumor to grow.

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Dr. Magliocco on Analyzing the Genome of Melanoma Tumors

Anthony M. Magliocco, MD, chair of pathology, executive director of esoteric labs at Moffitt Cancer Center, discusses the role of the pathologist in the treatment of a patient with melanoma.

Behind the primary practitioner, who is working with the patient directly, there is a team of experts that can help guide treatment by providing information on molecular genetics, therapy, and radiation oncology.

Magliocco says that a molecular pathologist can help a primary practitioner understand a tumor, the best technology platform to use, how to interpret data, and more. It is also essential for a primary practitioner to become familiar with the laboratories they are working with so that they can better understand the technologies, how they are changing, and what impact they can have on patients.

Anthony M. Magliocco, MD

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Dr. Magliocco on Analyzing the Genome of Melanoma Tumors

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