Press Release
Nov 17, 2023
The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer announced the establishment of the IASLC Partners for Thoracic Cancer Care.
(Denver - November 17, 2023) — The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer today announced it has established the IASLC Partners for Thoracic Cancer Care, bringing IASLC member experts and industry partner representatives together to collaborate on solutions to big-picture challenges facing those working to conquer lung cancer and other thoracic malignancies.
The IASLC Partners’ initial projects will focus on biomarker testing because of its importance in accurately diagnosing lung cancer.
“When available, molecularly targeted therapies provide the best outcomes for patients who have advanced-stage NSCLC with driver mutations, but their use depends on timely identification of oncogenic drivers through biomarker testing,” said Dr. Karen Kelly, IASLC CEO. Dr. Kelly added that it is important to recognize that personalized therapy is not only about giving the right therapy but also about avoiding the wrong therapy that could be harmful to a patient.
Evidence-based international guidelines from the College of American Pathologists (CAP), the IASLC, and the Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP), have recommended biomarker testing for all patients with advanced-stage non-squamous NSCLC since 2013, with a revision in 2018 and a pending revision expected in 2024. In 2021, IASLC presented results from a survey of biomarker use among thousands of members and nonmembers worldwide. These results show substantial deficits in awareness of and adherence to current guidelines. Many respondents (33%) were not aware of the 2018 CAP/IASLC/AMP guidelines. Respondents estimated that fewer than 50% of patients with lung cancer receive molecular testing, and many who are tested may receive testing only for EGFR and ALK molecular markers. In addition, respondents expressed dissatisfaction with the current state of molecular testing for lung cancer in their countries and frequently reported no strategy to improve molecular testing.
The IASLC Partners’ first project, titled “The 2024 International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) Global Survey on Evolving Trends in Biomarker Testing for Lung Cancer,” aims to conduct a new global survey of both IASLC members and non-members to determine biomarker testing uptake for lung cancer among healthcare providers around that world and to characterize the patterns of adoption and take a deeper dive into the barriers to adoption of biomarker testing for lung cancer. We anticipate the data from this survey will lead to a subsequent project on devising an implementation toolkit for biomarker testing.
"There have been exciting advances in biomarker-driven therapies for individuals with lung cancer since the time of the first IASLC survey.,” said Dr. Mathew Smeltzer, the lead epidemiologist for the 2020 and 2024 surveys. “The new survey will help us understand how biomarker testing practices have evolved for late-stage lung cancer, the state of testing in early-stage lung cancer, and more details about barriers to optimal testing that could inform solutions."
The IASLC Partners initiative is Co-Chaired by a diverse and globally representative group of four IASLC member experts and two industry representatives. The current Co-Chairs are Federico Cappuzzo, MD, National Cancer Institute Regina Elena (Italy); Byoung Chul Cho, MD, PhD, Yonsei Cancer Center (Republic of Korea); Eric Churchill, PhD, Takeda Oncology (USA); Abdelali Majdi, MD, Bayer (France); Sukhmani Kaur Padda, MD, Fox Chase Cancer Center/Temple Health (USA); and Navneet Singh, MD, FRCP, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (India).
Corporations currently participating in the IASLC Partners are AbbVie; Amgen, Inc.; AstraZeneca; Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.; Bristol Myers Squibb; Eli Lilly and Company; Gilead Sciences, Inc.; J & J Innovative Medicine; Novartis; Pfizer, Inc.; Regeneron; Roche and Genentech, a member of the Roche Group; Sanofi; and Takeda Oncology.
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About the IASLC
The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) is the only global organization dedicated solely to the study of lung cancer and other thoracic malignancies. Founded in 1974, the association's membership includes more than 10,000 lung cancer specialists across all disciplines in over 100 countries, forming a global network working together to conquer lung and thoracic cancers worldwide. The association also publishes the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, the primary educational and informational publication for topics relevant to the prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment of all thoracic malignancies. Visit www.iaslc.org for more information.