The Impact of Prior Single-Gene Testing on Comprehensive Genomic Profiling Results for Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

For patients with non-small cell lung cancer, tissue samples for testing are usually obtained by small biopsies. The standard of care for all patients with non-small cell lung cancer is to evaluate for >10 biomarkers so oncologists can recommend targeted, personalized therapies. If only single gene tests are ordered, then it is unlikely that patient will have all biomarkers tested and they may not be able to get a second biopsy for comprehensive testing. Furthermore, doing single gene tests before comprehensive profiling creates longer wait times for results—and this can be problematic when selecting optimal treatment for patients with cancer.

“When comprehensive genomic profiling was completed, 46% of patients with negative results from prior single-gene testing had positive results for recommended treatment biomarkers that were not included in the initial single-gene tests. To ensure that NSCLC patients receive testing for all recommended biomarkers, comprehensive genomic profiling must be performed first.”