Summary
Drs. Riely and Levy explain the necessity of reflex genomic testing in lung cancer to ensure personalized treatment and better patient outcomes.
In a recent expert talk, Dr. Gregory J. Riely and Dr. Benjamin P. Levy explained why DNA testing (genomic testing) is now a must-have tool for treating lung cancer. In the past, doctors only ran these tests for certain types of cancer. Today, the experts say every patient with lung cancer needs this testing right away to find the best medicine.
Key points from their discussion:
Automatic Testing: Hospitals should start these tests automatically as soon as cancer is found. This “reflex testing” saves time and makes sure no important clues are missed.
Targeted Therapy vs. Chemo: Some lung cancers have specific “drivers” or triggers. For these patients, standard treatments like immunotherapy often don’t work well. Instead, they need targeted drugs that attack those specific triggers.
Teamwork Matters: For the best results, the doctors doing the biopsy, the lab experts, and the cancer specialists must work together. They need to make sure enough tissue is saved for testing and that the results get to the doctor quickly.
The main goal of early testing is to give patients the right medicine from day one. This helps patients live longer and feel much better during their treatment.
