Biomarkers

Two experts discuss the advances made in lung cancer with the introduction of new immunotherapies, which have extended life for patients, and why testing for biomarkers is crucial.

In January 2021, the FDA approved a new indication for Xalkori (crizotinib), an oral ALK inhibitor, for the treatment of young patients who are diagnosed with relapsed or refractory systemic anaplastic large-cell lymphoma and ALK mutation. Xalkori was previously approved for metastatic lung cancer and ALK or ROS1 mutation.

At the October 2020 conference of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), researchers presented information on new or recently approved targeted therapies and immunotherapies for lung cancer.

With her family history of cancers related to the BRCA mutation, Jamie Ledezma’s first pregnancy suddenly got very complicated when she learned she had triple-negative breast cancer.

In May 2020, the FDA approved Tabrecta, a new targeted therapy for the treatment of patients with metastatic non–small-cell lung cancer that is associated with the MET biomarker.

Non–small-cell lung cancer, or NSCLC, is the most common form of lung cancer, accounting for about 80% to 85% of all lung cancer cases in the United States.

This special issue of CONQUER magazine is focused on very innovative diagnostic tests that involve biomarkers associated with cancer. For many past decades we have provided the same types of treatments for patients with cancer, basing the treatments on the type of cancer the patient had, and where it was in the body, such as lung cancer or breast cancer.

Understanding the specific biomarkers associated with each patient’s cancer helps to select the best therapy that targets that unique biomarker to improve the chance of survival for that patient.

Genetic testing, genomic testing, molecular profiling—how can you make sense of these terms to ensure you receive the best test and best treatment in this era of targeted therapies? A group of experts and patient advocates provide answers to these questions.