A large number of lung cancer experts affiliated with The College of American Pathologists (CAP), the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) and the Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) will review the guideline “Molecular Testing Guideline for Selection of Lung Cancer Patients for EGFR and ALK Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors.”
This revised evidence-based guideline will incorporate novel suggestions for ALK testing by immunohistochemistry (IHC), ALK–EGFR tumor resistance, and updated molecular targets including ROS1, MET, ERBB2, RET and NTRK1.
Additionally, next generation sequencing multigene platforms along with IHC will be re-assessed for the diagnostic of lung cancer.
Furthermore, the use of a second biopsy resultant of post-treatment tumor recurrence, together with blood sample testing for the identification of tumor cell mutations, cell free tumor DNA and exosomes will be reviewed.
These new guidelines, expected to begin earlier this year, will consider evidence from research literature and will be preformed by a panel composed of well-known international lung cancer researchers.
“Although only one year has passed since the molecular testing guideline was published, rapid accumulation of scientific knowledge and new evidence in this field indicate that the guidelines should be updated. Thus, an update has begun that includes an expanded list of genes and new methods that are clinically relevant,” Yasushi Yatabe, MD, PhD, chief, Department of Pathology and Molecular Diagnostics, Aichi Cancer Center, Nagoya, Japan and IASLC member, said in a news release.
These guidelines have impacted on the treatment and support of lung cancer patients in the United States and several other countries. For example, testing for EGFR mutations and ALK rearrangements, along with the application of targeted therapies have increased survival rates and quality of life amongst these patients.
“More than 224,200 new cases of lung cancer were diagnosed in 2014 in the United States,” Philip T. Cagle, MD, FCAP, medical director of Pulmonary Pathology in the Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine at The Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas, Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine editor-in-chief, and CAP member, added in the new release. “Rapid advancements in genetic testing offer new treatment options for patients with advanced lung cancer. The updates to the guideline will help pathologists and oncologists to provide more accurate testing, leading to more optimal patient care.”
