Optimizing Treatment Outcomes in Advanced NSCLC with Concurrent Biomarker Testing

Zofia Piotrowska, MD, MHS, and Martin Dietrich, MD, PhD, emphasize the crucial role of molecular testing in disease diagnosis, focusing on the significance of rapid turnaround times and the ability of liquid biopsies to address time-sensitive diagnostic needs.

Martin Dietrich, MD, PhD, shares his approach to optimizing the use of diagnostic testing from both a tissue perspective and cost perspective, noting he routinely orders tissue and liquid biopsies during the initial patient visit if prior testing has not been conducted.

Key opinion leaders examine the current National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines regarding the utilization of liquid and tissue biopsies, highlighting the necessity for the NCCN to prioritize and recommend concurrent testing as the preferred approach over relying on a single liquid or tissue biopsy alone.

The expert panel underscores the critical importance of rapid diagnostic testing and identification of driver alterations to optimize patient outcomes, given the often-narrow therapeutic window for chemotherapy and targeted therapies.