The American Cancer Society National Lung Cancer Roundtable Strategic Plan: Methods for Improving Turnaround Time of Comprehensive Biomarker Testing in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Authors

Sinchita Roy-Chowdhuri
Haresh Mani
Adam H Fox
Anne Tsao
Lynette M Sholl
Farhood Farjah
Bruce E Johnson
Raymond U Osarogiagbon
M Patricia Rivera
Gerard A Silvestri
Robert A Smith
Ignacio I Wistuba

Publication Date

12-15-2024

Journal

Cancer

Abstract

Comprehensive biomarker testing for patients with non-small cell lung cancer is critical for selecting appropriate targeted therapy or immunotherapy. Ensuring timely ordering, processing, and reporting is key to optimizing patient outcomes. However, various factors can prevent or delay patients from being offered the option of treatment selection based on comprehensive biomarker testing. These factors include problems with access to testing, tissue adequacy, turnaround time, and health insurance coverage and billing practices. Turnaround time depends on several logistical and tissue handling factors, which involve institutional policies, processes, resources, testing methodology, and testing algorithms that vary across different practices. In this article, the authors identify key factors that prolong biomarker testing turnaround time, propose strategies to reduce it, and present a process map to aid physicians and key organizational stakeholders in improving testing efficiency.

Keywords

Humans, Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung, Lung Neoplasms, Biomarkers, Tumor, United States, American Cancer Society, Time Factors, comprehensive biomarker testing, non–small cell lung cancer, process map, quality assessment, quality improvement, quality metrics, testing algorithms, testing efficiency, tissue adequacy, turnaround time

DOI

10.1002/cncr.34926

PMID

39347608

PMCID

PMC11585344

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

9-30-2024

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Post-print

Published Open-Access

yes