Dr. Borghaei on Molecular Profiling in Lung Cancer

Hossein Borghaei, DO, MS, chief, Division of Thoracic Medical Oncology, director, Lung Cancer Risk Assessment, associate professor, Department of Hematology/Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, discusses molecular profiling in lung cancer.

Though it takes more time to test every patient who walks through the door for a rare abnormality, studies show that a broad molecular panel can help physicians find that 1% or 2% of patients with alterations and pair them with an appropriate and effective targeted therapy. These drugs also may have a significant impact on quality of life, adds Borghaei. For those reasons, he says it should be incorporated into everyday clinical practice.

In terms of specific agents, the NTRK and RET inhibitors demonstrate the importance of biology in non—small cell lung cancer. Being able to show clinical efficacy by pairing the right drug with the appropriate pathway is a very useful tool in combatting the disease.