LUNGevity’s Precision Medicine Initiatives are based on the belief that every patient, regardless of who they are or where they are treated, should have access to the right test and the right treatment at the right time.

Precision Medicine Initiatives are LUNGevity programs dedicated to biomarker-driven care for all people with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The goal is that everyone diagnosed with NSCLC undergoes comprehensive biomarker testing and their healthcare provider uses these results to direct their care. Testing should be done at any time when a new treatment is being considered, such as at diagnosis, recurrence, or progression of the cancer.

Precision medicine

Transforming Lung Cancer Through Precision Medicine Initiatives

Making treatment decisions based on a person’s biomarker status is the optimal path toward better outcomes and improved quality of life. Far too many people with NSCLC never undergo the guideline-recommended level of biomarker testing, and those who have an unidentified biomarker never gain access to the lifesaving treatments available. 

When someone does not undergo biomarker testing, it can result in their being given a treatment that is ineffective or even harmful. Additionally, there are situations when testing is performed, but a person’s treatment is selected before the results are available or viewed by the provider, leading to people being placed on the incorrect therapy. 

The reasons for people not receiving the appropriate levels of biomarker testing or not being treated based on the complete results of biomarker testing are numerous and deeply ingrained in the healthcare system. For example, an insurance company may not cover the cost of the guideline-recommended testing, or a hospital may not have the resources or know-how to establish an effective testing protocol. 

LUNGevity is addressing these challenges through multi-stakeholder efforts. We are collaborating with organizations and healthcare systems to eliminate barriers and ensure that biomarker testing is ordered at the same time that an NSCLC diagnosis is confirmed. We are also leading initiatives to increase pressure on payers to cover the cost of this lifesaving diagnostic testing.

LUNGevity’s Precision Medicine Initiatives are:

  • Leading research initiatives to uncover gaps and barriers
  • Leading collaborative multi-stakeholder, multi-year working groups on reflex testing and increasing provider and payer biomarker literacy
  • Educating providers and patients on the importance of comprehensive biomarker testing at every treatment decision point in the lung cancer journey and what to do with the results once they are available
  • Hosting a cross-cancer consortium of patient advocacy groups and professional societies to share best practices and collaborate on opportunities to improve the delivery of precision medicine for all people with cancer

If you are interested in learning more, partnering with, or supporting the Precision Medicine Initiatives, please reach out to Nikki Martin, Senior Director of Precision Medicine Initiatives, at [email protected].

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