Biomarker Testing in Lung Cancer
Kristie L. Kahl: Can you explain how biomarkers affect treatment options in lung cancer?
Dr. Upal Basu Roy: Lung cancer right now is leading precision medicine in oncology and biomarkers are a huge piece of precision medicine. When we think of precision medicine, we think of matching the right patient to the right treatment at the right time. And biomarkers are an important piece of this journey.
Biomarkers are unique characteristics of a patient's lung cancer. And determining which type of biomarker a particular lung cancer has is important matching a patient to the right treatment. So, to sum it up, I think biomarker testing is the first piece to making sure that the patient gets matched the right treatment.
Kristie L. Kahl: We do unfortunately hear about disparities when it comes to biomarker testing. Can you discuss what some of these disparities are and how we can address them?
Dr. Upal Basu Roy: When I think of disparities and biomarker testing, I think of them at different levels. I think one disparity in testing is at the policy level. And when I think of policy, I think of Medicaid coverage. We know that not all Medicaid coverage in different states covers biomarker testing. So that's a policy-level disparity.
And then I think of patient-level disparities. And when I think of patient level disparities, we do know that African American patients are less likely to receive biomarker testing. And those patients who are underinsured or uninsured, they are also less likely to receive biomarker testing. So, there are a lot of documented disparities in this area.
And in terms of thinking of solutions, as you can imagine, it's a very, very complex process. And we need all different stakeholders at the table. And we also need to educate different stakeholders about these disparities. And therefore, again, if we were to really solve disparities in biomarker testing, the way to do so is to educate policymakers, educate providers, and also educate patients to make sure that they get access to biomarker testing.
Kristie L. Kahl: Why is patient education and health care provider education so important around biomarker testing?
Dr. Upal Basu Roy: At LUNGevity Foundation, we believe that an educated patient is also an empowered and an engaged patient in their treatment decision making. And therefore, we feel that educating a patient about biomarker testing is incredibly important so that they are aware that they're getting the right test and the right treatment at the right time.
And the other side of the coin is educating providers. And that's incredibly important as well. And we do know that all oncologists are not recommending biomarker testing. And this is because sometimes they're not aware of the treatment advances in lung cancer. And therefore, educating oncologists about the latest treatment advances and how biomarker testing can make sure that they can prescribe these new treatments to their patients is incredibly important.
Kristie L. Kahl: What is the main thing that patients should know about biomarker testing so that one they're informed and know what to ask about?
Dr. Upal Basu Roy: I would actually say that patients need to know about two things when it comes to biomarker testing. The first question a patient should ask themselves and their health care providers is: Did I receive biomarker testing? And the second important question to ask is: Was my treatment decision based on my biomarker test results?
When I think of patients having a candid discussion about biomarker testing, I recommend that patients ask their physicians whether they receive testing, what their test results mean, where they can access their test results. Were the test results covered by insurance? And the most important question being: What are the test results used to make treatment decisions?
Kristie L. Kahl: To bring it all together, are there any resources that you can recommend for patients so that they can learn more about biomarker testing?
Dr. Upal Basu Roy: I have to put in a plug for LUNGevity Foundation. Here, we have an extensive array of resources for patients who want to educate themselves about biomarker testing. We have a comprehensive section on our website called Lung Cancer One, which has lots of details on biomarker testing and how biomarker testing can make sure that patients have matched to the right treatment at the right time. We also have downloadable booklets which you can also find on our education section in case you want to print something out and take to your doctor. And last but not least, we have one-pagers, which lists important questions to ask your doctor when you're talking about biomarker testing, what to look for in your biomarker test report. Again, these are all available at our website which you can download and print.
