Early, Reflex Biomarker Testing Is Critical to Optimizing NSCLC Treatment Decisions Across Disease Stages: With Adam Fox, MD, and Cynthia A. Schandl, MD, PhD

Welcome to OncLive On Air^®! I’m your host today, Jax DiEugenio.

OncLive On Air is a podcast from OncLive^®, which provides oncology professionals with the resources and information they need to provide the best patient care. In both digital and print formats, OncLive covers every angle of oncology practice, from new technology to treatment advances to important regulatory decisions.

In today’s episode, the discussion features Adam Fox, MD, an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine at the College of Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, and Cynthia A. Schandl, MD, PhD, medical director of clinical laboratories and director of the Division of Clinical Pathology in the College of Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina, who examined the expanding role of biomarker testing and genomic profiling in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) across disease stages.

In the interview, Dr Fox and Dr Schandl emphasized that comprehensive biomarker testing has become increasingly essential at the time of diagnosis in metastatic disease, as well as in earlier-stage NSCLC where results can directly influence neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatment decisions. They discussed how timely molecular data can determine the appropriateness of immunotherapy, targeted therapy, or multimodal approaches involving surgery and radiation, and highlighted the growing urgency of initiating testing early to avoid delays in first-line treatment. The conversation also underscored the pivotal role of pathologists in reflex testing workflows, specimen triage, and test selection, as well as the importance of multidisciplinary coordination and tumor boards in streamlining care, minimizing wasted time, and ensuring guideline-concordant, patient-centered treatment planning in a disease where delays can have profound clinical consequences.

_____

That’s all we have for today! Thank you for listening to this episode of OncLive On Air. Check back throughout the week for exclusive interviews with leading experts in the oncology field.

For more updates in oncology, be sure to visit www.OncLive.com and sign up for our e-newsletters.

OncLive is also on social media. On X and BlueSky, follow us at @OncLive. On Facebook, like us at OncLive, and follow our OncLive page on LinkedIn.

If you liked today’s episode of OncLive On Air, please consider subscribing to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and many of your other favorite podcast platforms,* so you get a notification every time a new episode is posted. While you are there, please take a moment to rate us!

Thanks again for listening to OncLive On Air.

*OncLive On Air is available on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, CastBox, Podcast Addict, Podchaser, RadioPublic, and TuneIn.

This content is a production of OncLive; this OncLive On Air podcast episode is supported by funding, however, content is produced and independently developed by OncLive.