Compared to current standard of care testing methods, the Idylla molecular diagnostics platform from Biocartis, Mechelen, Belgium, can substantially improve turnaround time of the results of mutation testing for colorectal cancer, independent of the size of the laboratory, according to a study from Dartmouth and Dartmouth-Hitchcock’s Norris Cotton Cancer Center.1 The researchers found that using Idylla meant that the average turnaround time for test results could be cut by more than 50% from 15 days to 5 days, with some results available in a single day. The decrease in wait time means patients can begin appropriate treatments for colorectal cancer much sooner. The study, which used the Idylla KRAS mutation assay and the Idylla NRAS-BRAF mutation assay, also concluded that the simplicity and ease of use of Idylla compared with other molecular techniques make it suitable for integration into laboratories of any size, including those that may not have much molecular expertise. “We are very pleased with this large new multicenter study focusing on the full sample journey,” says Herman Verrelst, chief executive officer of Biocartis. “Results show that Idylla performs very strongly in terms of delivering highly accurate, rapid results, but also in terms of its simplicity, making Idylla suitable even for smaller laboratory settings.” The study also addressed the use of minimal tissue from the samples and showed that even smaller tissue-based specimens can be successfully analyzed by Idylla. “Our results are in line with findings of other studies showing successful analyses with Idylla, using very small tissue amounts, including those deemed too small for standard molecular testing methods,” says Gregory Tsongalis, PhD, HCLD, CC, professor and vice chair of research in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine. “Idylla’s simplicity and ease of use compared with other molecular techniques make it suitable for routine laboratory testing.” For more information, visit Biocartis. Reference 1. Tsongalis GJ, Al Turkmani MR, Suriawinata M, et al. Comparison of tissue molecular biomarker testing turnaround times and concordance between standard of care and the biocartis idylla platform in patients with colorectal cancer. Am J Clin Pathol. Epub. June 11, 2020. doi: 10.1093/ajcp/aqaa044.