In recent years, genomic testing has brought new hope to people with lung cancer, especially those with non-small cell lung cancer. Genomic testing is a molecular analysis of a tumor, where researchers look at cancer cells to see if there are certain mutations that could be linked to the type of cancer you have.
“Genomic testing has significantly changed how lung cancer is treated. In those patients who have activating mutations or changes in the lung cancer cells where we can use targeted therapy, the outcome is significantly better,” says Jorge Gomez, MD, a lung oncologist at Mount Sinai Hospital.
Dr. Gomez is a Hematologist and Oncologist at Mount Sinai Hospital and an Assistant Professor of Medicine, Hematology, and Medical Oncology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
References
American Lung Association. (20240. Lung cancer biomarker testing.
Dogan, S., et al. (2012). Molecular epidemiology of EGFR and KRAS mutations in 3026 lung adenocarcinomas: Higher susceptibility of women to smoking-related KRAS-mutant cancers. Clinical Cancer Research.
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. (n.d.). Lung cancer genomic testing (EGFR, KRAS, ALK).
Mascaux, C., et al. (2018). Genomic testing in lung cancer: past, present, and future. Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.
Sequist, L.V., et al. (2024). Personalized, genotype-directed therapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer. UpToDate.
Why trust our experts?
