Be a Friend, and Tell a Friend about Tumor Testing

Patients not only need to be more aware of tumor testing, but also need to talk to their doctors to better understand the testing options. For example, not all biomarker tests are created equal. Some tests only look for a few select mutations like EGFR, ALK and ROS-1. Ideally, tumors are tested with a comprehensive genomic testing panel, which gives a fuller picture of the makeup of a person’s tumor. This type of testing may capture mutations that do not yet have an approved therapy, but are being studied in clinical trial. An expanded test panel can also include testing for PD-L1, which gives pertinent information about how someone may respond to immunotherapy, which harnesses a person’s immune system to fight the cancer.