New Clinical Study Identifies Personalized Treatment Options for Metastatic NSCLC With Plasma Proteome Testing

– Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute, LLC (FCS) medical oncologist and hematologist Ernesto Bustinza-Linares, MD is co-author of a recent abstract published in the American Society of Clinical Oncology Journal, JCO Precision Oncology, that uncovers a new testing method to determine personalized care options for patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

“We cannot stress enough the importance of research in the oncology field,” says FCS President & Managing Physician Lucio N. Gordan, MD. “Furthermore, our own physicians are making remarkable strides in advancing oncology care for patients. By incorporating precision oncology tactics, we are uncovering new applications of existing therapies to drive the best results, as was done in this study.”

The abstract’s authors address the limitations of existing guidelines that recommend checkpoint immunotherapy, sometimes in combination with chemotherapy, for treating NSCLC, which often discounts patient variability and immune factors. Using a new machine-learning test for pretreated plasma proteomic profiles, PROphet, the authors were able to identify levels of protein inhibitors for each patient to determine the best line of treatment.

The findings from the study show that by incorporating additional plasma proteome-based testing, combined with the standard protein inhibitor testing, clear differences in patient outcomes were observed after applying targeted treatments based on the testing results.

“We can no longer apply a blanketed approach to oncology care,” says Dr. Bustinza. “This study is pivotal in developing a precise approach to treating cancer based on the unique cellular properties of the patient, not the cancer type. With this knowledge, we can then apply the best possible approach, in this instance, choosing a monotherapy or combination therapy, to drive optimal results.”

To read the full abstract, visit: https://ascopubs.org/doi/full/10.1200/PO.23.00555.