Evolving Biomarkers in NSCLC

Although clinical practice guidelines recommend testing for certain molecular and immune-directed biomarkers in eligible patients with non-small cell lung cancer, recent studies report that more than 70 percent of patients treated in community cancer programs do not receive guideline-concordant biomarker testing.  In addition, more than 50 percent of patients tested do not receive evidence-based targeted therapies based on their test results.

In a recent survey conducted by ACCC, more than 50 percent of programs stated that their processes and procedures for established and emerging biomarker testing needed improvement. Rural cancer programs indicated that they face unique barriers to biomarker testing, including insufficient tissue for testing, lack of a multidisciplinary team to review testing processes and procedures, and lengthy turnaround times for test results.

To address these disparities, ACCC has launched the Evolving Biomarkers in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer program to improve biomarker testing for patients with advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. This program will seek to improve access to biomarker testing for patients and address the challenges community cancer programs experience when translating rapidly changing testing and treatment recommendations into clinical practice. Broad molecular profiling, inclusive of testing to identify less common driver mutations for which effective therapies may already be available, is a key component of efforts to improve the care of patients with non-small cell lung cancer. The goal of this initiative is to increase the capability of community cancer programs to quickly incorporate testing innovations, order timely comprehensive biomarker testing, and act when a new treatment becomes available for an actionable biomarker (e.g., KRAS G12C).

For more information on this project, please contact the ACCC Provider Education department.