UofL Health – Brown Cancer Center recently became the first facility in the United States of America to offer its patients access to an FDA approved assay for solid tumor testing. The test, known as Illumina TruSight™ Oncology (TSO) Comprehensive, is FDA approved and performed on-site at UofL Health's Next Generation Sequencing Lab. TSO Comprehensive assay essentially scans a patient's tumor sample for cancer mutations, evaluating both the DNA and RNA of a patient's tumor to ensure they are matched with the most effective therapies or available clinical trials.
LOUISVILLE, Ky., July 16, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- UofL Health – Brown Cancer Center recently became the first facility in the United States of America to offer its patients access to an FDA approved assay for solid tumor testing. The test, known as Illumina TruSight Oncology (TSO) Comprehensive, is FDA approved and performed on-site at UofL Health's Next Generation Sequencing Lab. TSO Comprehensive assay essentially scans a patient's tumor sample for cancer mutations, evaluating both the DNA and RNA of a patient's tumor to ensure they are matched with the most effective therapies or available clinical trials.
"Cancer cells can present and respond in very unique ways, but the detail provided by this single test enhances our ability to develop targeted personalized therapy plans," said Jason Chesney, M.D., Ph.D., director and chief administrative officer of the Brown Cancer Center. "The expertise on my team of clinicians is already unmatched anywhere in the region. I'm excited to see how they leverage this advanced technology to further benefit our patients."
The TSO Comprehensive test can simultaneously sequence millions of DNA fragments while detecting more than 500 cancer related DNA variants and 24 RNA fusions, along with other key biological signatures.
"We are excited to bring TSO Comprehensive to our patient and provider community. Access to an in-house comprehensive tumor profiling solution will allow our care teams to deliver faster precision therapy decisions for our patients," said Mustafa Al-Kawaaz, M.D., assistant professor and director of Hematology, Cytogenetics and Molecular Pathology in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Louisville School of Medicine.
The assay requires only a sliver of tumor tissue. Instead of requiring separate traditional oncological tests to find different mutations in a tumor, TSO Comprehensive can detect multiple mutations using a single assay, thus saving precious sample, reducing costs, and speeding up answers. This single test can be used for multiple solid tumor types.
"Having this technology, on-site, allows our laboratory team to minimize the wait time between biopsy and beginning treatment," said Emily Volk, M.D., MBA, FCAP, UofL Health vice president of pathology and laboratories. "Quicker answers can help ease anxiety. That, along with the detailed analysis, leads to better outcomes."
"Raw data from sequencing is converted into a clear report that flags mutations already linked to FDA approved drugs or clinical trials thereby helping the oncologists choose the right treatment for each patient", said Litty Paul, manager at the UofL Health Next Generation Sequencing Laboratory. "This cutting-edge technology will enable UofL Health to attract clinical trials, collaborative clinical research, and be a regional leader in precision oncology."
For more information on the Illumina TruSight™ Oncology (TSO) Comprehensive test visit illumina.com.
About UofL Health – Brown Cancer Center
Brown Cancer Center, part of UofL Health, is an academic cancer center affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine. The cancer center's goal is to make cancer a disease of the past through cutting-edge care, innovative clinical trials and cancer prevention efforts. Brown Cancer Center is home to Kentucky's first and longest-accredited program by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers. The cancer center is a nationally recognized center for the development of experimental cancer therapeutics and diagnostics and has the largest cancer trials program in the region. We are a global leader in the clinical trial testing of new immunotherapies that activate your body's immune system to fight cancer and have become early adopters of these immunotherapies that are reducing the cancer death rate in the U.S. Our multidisciplinary teams specialize in treating cancers of the blood and bone marrow, breast, head and neck, lungs, and skin, as well as the central nervous system (brain and spine), gastrointestinal, genitourinary and reproductive systems.
About UofL Health
UofL Health is a not-for-profit (501(c)(3)) fully integrated regional academic health system with nine hospitals, four medical centers, Brown Cancer Center, Eye Institute, more than 250 physician practice locations, and more than 1,200 providers in Louisville and the surrounding counties, including southern Indiana. Additional access to UofL Health is provided through a partnership with Carroll County Memorial Hospital.
Affiliated with the University of Louisville School of Medicine, UofL Health is committed to providing patients with access to the most advanced care available. This includes clinical trials, collaboration on research and the development of new technologies to both save and improve lives. With more than 14,000 team members – physicians, surgeons, nurses, pharmacists and other highly-skilled health care professionals, UofL Health is focused on one mission: to transform the health of communities we serve through compassionate, innovative, patient-centered care. For more information on UofL Health, go to http://www.UofLHealth.org.
Media Contact
David McArthur, UofL Health, 5025627016, [email protected], UofLHealth.org
SOURCE UofL Health
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