Upal Basu Roy, PhD, MPH, vice president of research, LUNGevity, discusses the challenges of interpreting molecular testing results in lung cancer.

One barrier to molecular testing is the potential for medical oncologists to misinterpret the results of the testing report, Basu Roy explains. The biology of biomarkers is becoming increasingly complex, so, in turn, the results of biomarker testing are also complex. 

 mutations will respond to traditional EGFR-directed TKIs, so it is important to subclassify 

 mutations, Basu Roy says. Although access remains a barrier to molecular testing, the challenge of interpreting these results is a new barrier. Ultimately, even if all patients had access to molecular testing, misinterpretation of the results would prevent some patients from being matched to the correct treatment, Basu Roy concludes. 

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Upal Basu Roy, PhD, MPH, discusses the challenges of interpreting molecular testing results in lung cancer.  



Dr. Basu Roy on the Challenges of Interpreting Molecular Testing Results in Lung Cancer 

Upal Basu Roy, PhD, MPH, vice president of research, LUNGevity, discusses addressing barriers to biomarker testing in lung cancer.

, a program hosted by the Physicians’ Education Resource

, LLC, Dr Basu Roy and Benjamin P. Levy, MD, of Johns Hopkins Medicine, gave a presentation on barriers to biomarker testing and potential solutions to bridge these gaps. 

Currently, biomarker-driven therapies are approved for 9 genetic alterations in lung cancer, Basu Roy says. Additionally, PD-L1 is a biomarker for immunotherapy. Biomarker testing is critical in lung cancer because it is necessary to match patients with the right therapy. 

However, several challenges limit the utility of biomarker testing, including time to testing results, tissue acquisition, cost, accessibility, and testing platform selection, Basu Roy explains. Notably, the choice of platform is an important factor for biomarker testing because some of the platforms are more sensitive for certain alterations compared with others.

Ultimately, the field of targeted therapy is becoming increasingly complex​. To ensure patients receive optimal therapy in this evolving landscape, the community should focus on working together to address some of these barriers, Basu Roy concludes.

Upal Basu Roy, PhD, MPH, discusses addressing barriers to biomarker testing in lung cancer.  



Upal Basu Roy, PhD, MPH

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Dr. Basu Roy on the Challenges of Interpreting Molecular Testing Results in Lung Cancer

Dr. Basu Roy on Addressing Barriers to Biomarker Testing in Lung Cancer