Information on Biomaker Testing for Targeted Therapies in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

    
     I suspect this blog entry is for a narrow group of readers...probably my fellow non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) Ninjas, cancer genetic counselor friends, friends and family that are medical doctors, and cancer nerds.  

     Today, a dear friend and fellow genetic counselor sent me a link to a newsletter-type article from Mayo Clinic Laboratories.  This newsletter, called "Communique", has an article about testing for biomakers (DNA mutations and immuno-histo chemistry) in some types of lung cancers and the new medications being used to treat them.  It's a little technical, but I'm posting the link because over the past year, or so, through this blog, I've been contacted by other Cancer Ninjas that have a lung tumor mutation, [EGFR, ALK or ROS1], who are on a targeted oral chemotherapy. (Some even have the same ROS1 mutation I have and are taking Xalkori.)

     I believe this article was written to share new information, but also to profile the testing that is available at Mayo Clinic Laboratory, (ie soft advertising).  It's a nice review article for those of us who are interested in knowing what medications are on the horizon, and how well they are working for those taking them.  So, it's probably not so interesting for most...

Here's the link:
 

http://www.mayomedicallaboratories.com/articles/communique/2014/01-lung-carcinoma/index.html

     
Thanks, Suzie, for thinking of me when you saw this article and sending it my way.