Updated September 28, 2009

Perspectives on Emerging Technology Report (POET):
Designed by the Technology Assessment Committee, the POET reports are distributed on a bi-monthly basis through CAP@YourService with links to the TAC web page on the CAP website. The goal of these reports is to provide pathologists with a high-level summary of a particular emerging technology that is likely to impact their practice in the reasonable future. Specifically, the POET report overviews a technology and its clinical relevance, addresses the state of development, and outlines the implications to pathology and pathologists. Most importantly, the POET provides pathologists with ideas on how to respond to clinician or patient inquiries about a technology, and provides additional references for further information and research. Although the POET delivers a thorough overview of a specific innovative technology, it is not a definitive technology assessment of the techniques used or a ‘how to’ cookbook on implementing a test in a practice. Rather, it is intended to be used as an educational tool leading to more detailed investigations by the Council on Scientific Affairs or individual pathologists.

The KRAS POET report has been updated to include the recent update by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) to its Colon Cancer guideline with the recommendation that KRAS testing on the primary tumor or a site of metastasis should be part of the pre-treatment work-up for all mCRC patients. Additionally, the POET includes reference to the July 2009 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved labeling changes to cetuximab and panitumumab indicating that these agents are not recommended for the treatment of colorectal cancer harboring KRAS mutations.

• KRAS Mutation Testing for Colorectal Cancer (CRC) (HTML | PDF, 136 K)
• In Vitro Diagnostic Multivariate Index Assays (IVDMIA) (HTML | PDF, 117 K)
• Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) (HTML | PDF, 144 K)