Sep 282011
37 Canadian oncologists got together in a consensus panel to talk about biomarkers and histologic subtypes of non-small cell lung cancer.
The take-home:
- All NSCLC should be tested for the EGFR mutation, as tyrosine kinase inhibitors can prolong survival for eligible patients.
- There is insufficient evidence to recommend routine testing for other mutations (KRAS, p53, VEGF, EML4/ALK, etc).
- Squamous cell may have a worse prognosis than adenocarcinoma.
- Whenever possible, get biopsy tissue from a solid tumor, rather than just cytology, to enhance yield of subtyping.
Ellis P et al. A Systematic Review and Canadian Consensus Recommendations on the Use of Biomarkers in the Treatment of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer. J Thorac Oncol 2011;6:1379-1391.
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