Dr. Kris on the Use of Genetic Testing in Lung Cancer

Mark G. Kris, MD, Thoracic Oncology Service from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center describes the use of genetic testing in lung cancer.

Dr. Kris says doctors have long known that despite a person having a diagnosis of a certain cancer, what happens to that person and their response to therapy varies quite a bit, and there has never been a good explanation as to why. In the last ten years, doctors have learned that, at least in lung cancer, the cancer cells are driven by genetic changes and mutations. When a specific mutation is discovered, it defines different groups of patients and gives the physician an idea of what therapy might be best.