My Treatment Approach: HER2-Mutant mNSCLC - Episode 4
The Clinical Utility of ctDNA Testing in HER2- Mutation mNSCLC
Panelists discuss how circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) testing is valuable for up-front molecular profiling in all locally advanced or metastatic lung cancer patients to accelerate treatment decisions, but longitudinal ctDNA monitoring is not yet standard practice for assessing treatment response in HER2 mutations, though it can be useful at disease progression to identify resistance mechanisms and guide subsequent therapy decisions.
The Clinical Utility of ctDNA Testing in HER2-Mutation Metastatic NSCLC
ctDNA testing has become an essential component of up-front molecular profiling for locally advanced or metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. The technology accelerates time to treatment initiation and enhances opportunities for molecular profiling, particularly in situations where tissue samples may be limited or difficult to obtain. ctDNA utilizes tumor-derived DNA as input material while employing similar DNA-based testing platforms to tissue-based approaches, demonstrating excellent sensitivity especially in symptomatic patients with higher tumor shedding. This up-front testing approach is supported by National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines and validated by studies including the Agarwal study from 2019 and research from MD Anderson Cancer Center, establishing joint tissue and liquid biopsy testing as the most comprehensive molecular profiling strategy.
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