Dr. Sabari on the Importance of Timely Testing for Uncommon Mutations in NSCLC

Joshua K. Sabari, MD, assistant professor, Department of Medicine, NYU Langone Health’s Perlmutter Cancer Center, discusses the importance of timely testing for uncommon mutations in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

When patients are diagnosed with NSCLC, a quick turnaround in testing for mutations will allow clinicians to make appropriate, timely treatment decisions, Sabari says. Involving an interventional radiologist or interventional pulmonologist can help expedite turnaround times for testing, Sabari adds. Many institutions are shifting to reflex testing, where all patients with NSCLC receive broad-panel, next-generation sequencing, Sabarin explains.

Another way to reduce turnaround time for genetic testing is through liquid biopsies, Sabari continues. Liquid biopsies can help guide treatment based on the uncommon mutations that are found, and if those mutations are not detected through liquid biopsies, tissue-based testing can deliver final confirmation, Sabari concludes.