Dr. Boyle on Approaching Biomarker Testing in Lung Cancer

Theresa Boyle, MD, PhD, molecular pathologist and assistant professor at Moffitt Cancer Center, discusses the current approach to biomarker testing in lung cancer.

Biomarker testing begins with staging to assess how comprehensive a test is needed, says Boyle. For example, a more targeted panel could be selected in a patient who requires rapid results, whereas a more comprehensive next-generation sequencing panel could be selected if the turnaround time can be longer, Boyle explains.

KRAS G12C mutations have become druggable with investigational agents, such as sotorasib and adagrasib, in the clinical trial setting, says Boyle. Both agents have demonstrated efficacy in this subset of patients, explains Boyle. However, whether the presence of co-mutations, such as STK11, limit the efficacy of immunotherapy in this patient population is yet to be determined, Boyle adds.

Notably, the field of targeted therapy for patients with lung cancer is rapidly evolving, so it is important to be in close communication with multidisciplinary experts to determine the optimal treatment for a patient, says Boyle. Additionally, biomarker testing should be supported so that tumor interrogation can be used to inform treatment selection, Boyle concludes.