The determination of tumor mutations will be carried out at KCCG

The PCR laboratory of the Clinical Center of Montenegro has been given a new purpose, so molecular analyzes of tumors will now be performed there in order to determine certain mutations that have great clinical significance.

Director of the KCCG Pathology Center, Dr. Filip Vukmirović, said in Colors of the Morning that this laboratory made a great contribution during the omicron strain, and that a large number of tests were performed there every day. Now that the number of tests has been reduced, the plan is to introduce new types of diagnostics.

"During the past decade, major changes have taken place in the therapeutic sense, and they are also accompanied by diagnostic changes. Today, we perform a significantly greater number of analyzes from one sample. It is not enough to diagnose a tumor, but also to present information so that oncologists can treat the patient." , explained Vukmirović.

The head of the department for pathohistology, Dr. Mileta Golubović, explained that the path of analysis is complex, but in well-organized systems it is still very simple.

"The first encounter with a tumor is when the tumor tissue is taken for analysis, there is a whole series of analyzes and examinations. After the pathologist processes it, it undergoes a whole series of technical procedures, we get a tissue section that can be used for a very long period of time. After the procedures, we can get a definite diagnosis and we can demystify its biological potential in terms of how much it can endanger the patient's health and life," Golubović said.

He points out that there is an insistence on screening programs because it is important to detect the disease in time, especially a malignant one, because there are drastic differences in diagnosis, treatment, therapy...

"This method enables us to an even greater degree, that even when a tumor develops, we can act on the basis of certain parameters to suppress the spread of the disease."

Vukmirović adds that there are a couple of laboratories in the world that can do whole genome sequencing, but that this results in a huge amount of data, which in large percentage have no clinical significance.

"In addition to targeted therapy that affects certain pathways within the tumor cell, we also have a long segment of therapy, which is immunotherapy. Determining these parameters, the predictive status of the tumor, whether it will respond to immunotherapy... we have been doing this for several years for various types of tumors."

Until now, these analyzes were done for our citizens in laboratories abroad, but the problem was the time frame in which the results were obtained. According to Vukmirović, this will allow us to know in a few days whether the tumor has any mutation.

Golubović points out that the equipment owned by KCCG is good, modern and at the highest level, and that they currently have three devices that can enable these analyses.