SARS-CoV-2 has infected more than 643 million individuals worldwide and accounts for close to 64,950 deaths in the Philippines. Due to COVID-19’s clinical overlap with other diseases and non-specific radiologic findings, its diagnosis rests primarily on laboratory methods, including reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and multiplexed molecular platforms for rapid syndromic testing. Compared to RT-PCR which has a turnaround time of 24 to 72 hours, multiplexed molecular platforms can provide alternative diagnoses to COVID-19 in an average of one hour, providing meaningful data that can impact clinical and resource management when handling acute surge of patients with respiratory symptoms.
COVID-19 ; SARS-CoV-2

RUNX1::RUNX1T1 is a core-binding factor driving fusion gene which arises from t(8;21)(q22;q22). It is one of the most common chromosomal rearrangements in both pediatric and adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) with a reported incidence o 15% in children and young adults. There are few case reports documenting RUNX1::RUNX1T1 translocation in pediatric AML. Although this is generally associated with a favorable prognosis, we report two (2) cases of de novo pediatric AML in the Philippines harboring a RUNX1::RUNX1T1 translocation, one eventually relapsed while the other attained remission but succumbed to sepsis.
Next Generation Sequencing ; RUNX1::RUNX1T1 fusion

Introduction: With advancements in the understanding of lung cancer biology, targeted therapy has become the rule rather than the exception. Patients with ALK rearrangements are amenable to therapy with Alectinib and other ALK inhibitors, which has been associated with better patient outcomes. While ALK rearrangement should be routinely tested in non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the cost and availability of this test is a prohibitive factor, particularly in the Philippine setting. Objectives: This study aimed (1) to determine the prevalence of ALK-rearranged NSCLC among adult Filipino lung cancer patients in St. Luke’s Medical Center (SLMC) from 2016 to 2018 and (2) to determine the clinico-pathologic features of adult Filipinos with ALK-rearranged NSCLC. Methodology: This is a retrospective cross-sectional descriptive study wherein the prevalence of ALK-rearranged NSCLC, detected using fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) or immunohistochemistry (IHC), was determined. Clinical data of patients for whom ALK testing was performed were collected. Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) slides were retrieved and reviewed for the presence of certain morphologic features. Patients whose H&E slides cannot be retrieved were excluded from the study. Results: ALK rearrangement was seen in 7.8% (8/103) of tumors submitted for ALK testing. Patients with ALK-rearranged tumors were generally young, light smokers, and presented with advanced clinical stage. Clear cell features and solid pattern were noted in one case and three cases, respectively. However, due to small sample size, further statistical analysis could not be performed to analyze the association of these features with the presence of ALK rearrangement. Conclusion Despite a small sample size, the prevalence and clinical profile of ALK-rearranged NSCLC in our institution are congruent with those previously described in Western populations. The association of clinical profile and morphologic features with the presence of ALK rearrangement can be further explored in future studies.
Lung Neoplasms ; Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase