Consensus, Controversy, and Conversations About Gene Expression Profiling in Melanoma

Personalized medicine, which is clinical management tailored to the individual patient, is gaining increased attention in every specialty. Gene expression profiling (GEP) measures the levels of multiple genes in an individual ’s tumor and predicts a clinical outcome (eg, melanoma recurrence) based on advanced machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms. Although not yet endorsed by the American Academy of Dermatology or the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, the use of GEP is increasing, with approximat ely 12 000 DecisionDx-Melanoma tests processed per year. As GEP tests penetrate the dermatology market, it is increasingly important for dermatologists to have a clear understanding of GEP science and its utility. In this issue, Marchetti et al report the performance of GEP tests across 7 external validation studies in a systematic review and meta-analysis, whereas Grossman et al discuss the issues that need to be addressed before GEP tests can be integrated into clinical decision-making. Neither article provides strong support for GEP use in its current form.
Source: JAMA Dermatology - Category: Dermatology Source Type: research