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VIDEO: High-intensity genomic assay may help ‘unlock mysteries’ in lung cancer treatment
CHICAGO — Edward S. Kim, MD, chair of solid tumor oncology and investigational therapeutics at the Levine Cancer Institute, and a HemOnc Today Editorial Board member, discusses results of a study presented at the ASCO Annual Meeting that demonstrated that an ultra-deep sequencing technique detected circulating tumor DNA in plasma at high rates of concordance with tumor tissue among patients with various cancers, including lung cancer.
“These types of assays may actually help us unlock some of these mysteries and these questions we’ve had,” Kim told HemOnc Today.
In addition, Kim mentions how this assay could perhaps allow physicians to monitor the disease without having to image as often and assess if therapy is working.
“These technologies that are being developed for patients with advanced disease ... will also be able to be moved earlier, not only in the early-stage setting, but maybe one day even detecting lung cancer in high-risk patients,” he said. “That is the goal, that would be wonderful to have blood tests to help detect cancer and I think if we don’t work toward these goals, we’ll never achieve them.”
Reference:
Razavi P, et al. Abstract LBA11516. Presented at: ASCO Annual Meeting; June 2-6, 2017; Chicago.
Disclosure: Kim reports no relevant financial disclosures.