Dr. Hassan on the Importance of Accurate Molecular Profiling in Lung Cancer

Khaled Hassan, MD, Khaled Hassan Laboratory, Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute, discusses the importance of performing precise molecular profiling in patients with lung cancer and the need to identify individually tailored treatment approaches.

When performing molecular pathology for patients with lung cancer, it is important to recognize that not all mutations are the same, Hassan says. For example, if a patient presents with an EGFR mutation, that does not necessarily mean that the patient has an activating mutation that is targetable with a specific treatment, Hassan emphasizes. Acquiring the specifics about a given patient’s mutation is vital to help inform treatment decisions, Hassan adds.

Once a specific mutation has been identified, it is also important to understand what targeted therapies are available to treat that patient, Hassan continues. Without comprehensive next-generation sequencing to look at all the specific mutations, it is difficult to identify a correct treatment, and there are also misconceptions about what specific mutations have targetable drugs, Hassan expands. Therefore, identifying the specific mutation and then understanding if there is a specific drug that targets it are crucial steps in managing treatment decisions for patients with lung cancer, Hassan explains.

With the growing number of targeted therapies available in the treatment of lung cancer, it is a new era of treatment for these patients, Hassan says. Lung cancer should no longer be treated as a single entity where chemotherapy-based treatments are the standard; rather, it is now vital to look at lung cancer on an individual level to determine the best course of treatment, Hassan notes.

By identifying any mutations driving tumors, patients with lung cancer can be classified into different subsets that have their own unique treatment options, Hassan says. By continuing to conduct molecular profiling for patients, treatment for lung cancer will continue to shift away from a one-size-fits-all approach, Hassan concludes.