Dr. Pennell on Challenges With NGS in Lung Cancer

Nathan Pennell, MD, PhD, a medical oncologist and director of the Lung Cancer Medical Oncology Program at the Taussig Cancer Institute of Cleveland Clinic, discusses challenges with next-generation sequencing (NGS) in lung cancer.

Part of the challenge with access to next-generation sequencing (NGS) in the lung cancer space is inertia, says Pennell. Some institutions already have single-gene testing in place, although many do not know what tests their pathology department specifically uses. Many times, tests are sent out to external vendors that utilize different testing techniques. However, NGS should be broadly available—especially in lung cancer, Pennell emphasizes.

Multiple FDA-approved vendors and assays are available within the space that can look for all of the guideline-suggested targets. As such, access to NGS should no longer be a barrier, says Pennell. However, other barriers to using NGS exist, such as having enough tissue and ensuring that there is sufficient turnaround time in order to inform decisions on how to treat patients.

There is work to be done, not just in raising awareness of this approach, but also ensuring that institutions have the right infrastructure in place to provide testing to all eligible patients and to receive the results in a timely fashion. The truth is that there is no reason that NGS should not be universally used in lung cancer, concludes Pennell.