Summary
Dr. Suresh S. Ramalingam urges community oncologists to use molecular testing and expand lung-cancer screening — so more patients gain access to modern, personalized therapies.
Lung cancer care has advanced a lot over the last 5–10 years, but many patients still don’t get the newer treatments according to Dr. Suresh S. Ramalingam, a lung-cancer expert.
Dr. Ramalingam says the biggest challenge is that medical research moves so fast that it’s hard for smaller cancer clinics (called community oncology practices) to stay up-to-date. These clinics treat many kinds of cancer.
He highlights two key actions that community oncologists should focus on: molecular testing and lung cancer screening.
-
Molecular testing means examining a patient’s tumor to find genetic or molecular changes. That helps doctors know if modern treatments — like targeted therapy or immunotherapy — might work.
-
Lung cancer screening means checking people at risk (like older or former smokers) even before they have symptoms. Early detection gives a better chance for successful treatment. The article explains community oncologists can encourage primary care doctors to screen more patients.
Dr. Ramalingam argues if community practices adopt these steps, many more patients will benefit from breakthroughs, not just those seen at major research hospitals.
He notes that right now some eligible patients never get tested or screened, so they might miss out on effective therapies. But by improving access and awareness, community oncologists can help close that gap and bring better care to more people.
Overall, the article calls for spreading new science beyond big cancer centers so all patients have a fair shot at best outcomes.
