Table 2. Technical basis and performance characteristics of each platform.
| Platform | Nanostring | Agena LungFUSION panel | ThermoFisher NGS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Panel | Custom | Imbalance 5′-3′ + LungFUSION panel v1.0 | Ion AmpliSeq™ Colon and Lung Cancer Research Panel v2 |
| Principle | Sequence specific hybridization | Reverse Transcription, PCR, Primer extension, MALDI-TOF | Targeted next generation sequencing on the fusion junction. Reverse Transcription occurs in the same tube. |
| Tolerates FFPE? | Y | Y | Y |
| Input requirements | 100–300ng RNA | 100–500ng RNA | 10 ng RNA |
| cDNA synthesis? | N | Y | Y |
| Genes in the panel | ALK, RET, ROS1 | ALK, RET, ROS1 | ALK, RET, ROS1, NTRK1 |
| Customizable? | Y | Y | Y |
| 5′-3′ expression? | N (possible) | Y (ALK, ROS1 and RET) | Y (ALK) |
| Analysis software? | Y (nSolver) | Y (MassArray Typer 4) | Y |
| Result report? | N | Y (LungFusion Report) | Y (Ion Reporter Software) |
| HK standards | GADPH, GUSB, OAZ1 and POLR2A | GAPDH and EML4 |
Y = Yes, N = No.