Surveys reveal opportunity for medical community to fully embrace biomarker testing in lung cancer

Results of two surveys that explored how pulmonologists and pathologists are incorporating biomarker testing into the care of patients with lung cancer have been announced by the US subsidiary of German family-owned drug major Boehringer Ingelheim. The results point to an increased role of these physicians in biomarker testing as well as greater multidisciplinary collaboration. However, they also reveal that an opportunity exists to improve how soon these tests are requested and to identify challenges with testing, including collecting a sufficient amount and quality of lung tissue.

Biomarker testing – the practice of testing tissue for a specific genetic mutation or translocation, known as a biomarker – is critical in the diagnosis of lung cancer, as it helps physicians determine a patient’s specific type of cancer and inform a personalized treatment approach.

“These surveys provide perspective on the continued need for a multidisciplinary approach to biomarker testing to ultimately support personalized care of patients with lung cancer,” said William Goeckeler, director, oncology medical affairs, at Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc (BIPI). “Automatic biomarker testing is critical for an accurate diagnosis as it helps match each patient with the most appropriate therapy as early as possible.”