Dr. Addeo Discusses the Need for Biomarkers in NSCLC

Alfredo Addeo, MD, consultant medical oncologist, University Hospital of Geneva, discusses the need for effective biomarkers in non—small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Addeo was interviewed by OncLive at the 2019 European Lung Cancer Congress in Geneva, Switzerland.

In general, the field of NSCLC has improved quite remarkably over the last few years. This is particularly true for patients with EGFR and ALK driver mutations, where targeted therapies have improved survival by many months if not years, says Addeo. The rise of immunotherapy has probably been the most significant advancement in this space, leading to increased overall and progression-free survival.

However, the challenge of resistance still remains, and researchers don’t quite understand the mechanisms driving resistance. As such, better biomarkers are needed to predict response to therapy. There are patients who have impressive, durable responses to therapy. There are also those who don’t respond at all. There is still a lot of room for improvement in patient selection, Addeo says.