Dr. Paulson on Molecular Testing in Oncology

R. Steven Paulson, MD, physician, Texas Oncology, discusses molecular testing in oncology.

Over the past 2 years, the importance of broad molecular testing across tumor types has become more apparent, says Paulson. Tumor mutational burden, microsatellite instability status, and specific alterations like NTRK fusions, have tumor agnostic indications for broad molecular profiling.

Patients with stage III or stage IV cancer should undergo molecular testing to optimize treatment, says Paulson. Patients with an actionable aberration may receive targeted therapy and be spared ineffective treatments, adds Paulson.

Precision medicine has shifted treatment to target specific genetic alterations within the tumor rather than the tissue of origin, concludes Paulson.