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BARCELONA – Molecular testing to guide treatment in patients with lung cancer remains underused, and awareness of related evidence-based guidelines is suboptimal, results of an international survey suggest.
Overall, 61% of the 2,537 respondents from 102 countries and across multiple relevant medical specialties reported that molecular testing rates in their country were less than 50%, with the lowest rates reported in Latin America. And 33% of those requesting molecular testing said they were unaware of the most updated guidelines supporting the use of such testing in lung cancer, Matthew Smeltzer, PhD, of the University of Memphis (Tenn.) reported during a press conference at the World Conference on Lung Cancer.
The findings from the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) Global Survey on Molecular Testing in Lung Cancer also showed that 41% of respondents who perform or interpret molecular testing assays report being dissatisfied with the conditions of molecular testing in their country, 17% said they feel that patients are not satisfied, and 35% said they aren’t sure about the state of testing in their country.
Specific concerns reported by respondents included trouble understanding results, the time it takes to receive the results, and the reliability of samples.
The top five barriers to molecular testing included cost, quality, access, awareness, and time, Dr. Smeltzer said at the meeting which is sponsored by the IASLC.
“These five were the same five top barriers in each region of the world,” he said, noting that the ordering of the barriers differed somewhat among regions.
The survey included a seven-question introduction, with 32 additional questions for respondents who request tests and treat patients, 45 questions on performing and interpreting assays, and 24 questions on tissue acquisition. Additionally, all respondents were asked to list barriers that impede their country’s ability to offer molecular testing.
“I’d say we got a pretty good geographic distribution of responses; 56% of these responses were from developing countries, 44% from developed countries,” he said, noting that medical oncologists constituted the highest percentage of respondents, followed by pulmonologists, thoracic surgeons, pathologists, and other scientists.
When asked specifically what would prompt molecular testing, respondents most often listed adenocarcinoma, never-smoker status, female gender, and young age, Dr. Smeltzer said.
“Overall, we’re still finding that many in the lung cancer community are not satisfied with the current state of molecular testing. We’ve got suboptimal awareness of the evidence-based guidelines. We have barriers that remain to molecular testing, which we’ve identified, and [we’re] recommending continuous education around molecular testing, and that should be intensified on a national and international level to ensure that patients receive optimal therapy,” he concluded.
The IASLC survey was funded by AstraZeneca. Dr. Smeltzer reported receiving research support from the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation.
BARCELONA – Molecular testing to guide treatment in patients with lung cancer remains underused, and awareness of related evidence-based guidelines is suboptimal, results of an international survey suggest.
Overall, 61% of the 2,537 respondents from 102 countries and across multiple relevant medical specialties reported that molecular testing rates in their country were less than 50%, with the lowest rates reported in Latin America. And 33% of those requesting molecular testing said they were unaware of the most updated guidelines supporting the use of such testing in lung cancer, Matthew Smeltzer, PhD, of the University of Memphis (Tenn.) reported during a press conference at the World Conference on Lung Cancer.
The findings from the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) Global Survey on Molecular Testing in Lung Cancer also showed that 41% of respondents who perform or interpret molecular testing assays report being dissatisfied with the conditions of molecular testing in their country, 17% said they feel that patients are not satisfied, and 35% said they aren’t sure about the state of testing in their country.
Specific concerns reported by respondents included trouble understanding results, the time it takes to receive the results, and the reliability of samples.
The top five barriers to molecular testing included cost, quality, access, awareness, and time, Dr. Smeltzer said at the meeting which is sponsored by the IASLC.
“These five were the same five top barriers in each region of the world,” he said, noting that the ordering of the barriers differed somewhat among regions.
The survey included a seven-question introduction, with 32 additional questions for respondents who request tests and treat patients, 45 questions on performing and interpreting assays, and 24 questions on tissue acquisition. Additionally, all respondents were asked to list barriers that impede their country’s ability to offer molecular testing.
“I’d say we got a pretty good geographic distribution of responses; 56% of these responses were from developing countries, 44% from developed countries,” he said, noting that medical oncologists constituted the highest percentage of respondents, followed by pulmonologists, thoracic surgeons, pathologists, and other scientists.
When asked specifically what would prompt molecular testing, respondents most often listed adenocarcinoma, never-smoker status, female gender, and young age, Dr. Smeltzer said.
“Overall, we’re still finding that many in the lung cancer community are not satisfied with the current state of molecular testing. We’ve got suboptimal awareness of the evidence-based guidelines. We have barriers that remain to molecular testing, which we’ve identified, and [we’re] recommending continuous education around molecular testing, and that should be intensified on a national and international level to ensure that patients receive optimal therapy,” he concluded.
The IASLC survey was funded by AstraZeneca. Dr. Smeltzer reported receiving research support from the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation.
BARCELONA – Molecular testing to guide treatment in patients with lung cancer remains underused, and awareness of related evidence-based guidelines is suboptimal, results of an international survey suggest.
Overall, 61% of the 2,537 respondents from 102 countries and across multiple relevant medical specialties reported that molecular testing rates in their country were less than 50%, with the lowest rates reported in Latin America. And 33% of those requesting molecular testing said they were unaware of the most updated guidelines supporting the use of such testing in lung cancer, Matthew Smeltzer, PhD, of the University of Memphis (Tenn.) reported during a press conference at the World Conference on Lung Cancer.
The findings from the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) Global Survey on Molecular Testing in Lung Cancer also showed that 41% of respondents who perform or interpret molecular testing assays report being dissatisfied with the conditions of molecular testing in their country, 17% said they feel that patients are not satisfied, and 35% said they aren’t sure about the state of testing in their country.
Specific concerns reported by respondents included trouble understanding results, the time it takes to receive the results, and the reliability of samples.
The top five barriers to molecular testing included cost, quality, access, awareness, and time, Dr. Smeltzer said at the meeting which is sponsored by the IASLC.
“These five were the same five top barriers in each region of the world,” he said, noting that the ordering of the barriers differed somewhat among regions.
The survey included a seven-question introduction, with 32 additional questions for respondents who request tests and treat patients, 45 questions on performing and interpreting assays, and 24 questions on tissue acquisition. Additionally, all respondents were asked to list barriers that impede their country’s ability to offer molecular testing.
“I’d say we got a pretty good geographic distribution of responses; 56% of these responses were from developing countries, 44% from developed countries,” he said, noting that medical oncologists constituted the highest percentage of respondents, followed by pulmonologists, thoracic surgeons, pathologists, and other scientists.
When asked specifically what would prompt molecular testing, respondents most often listed adenocarcinoma, never-smoker status, female gender, and young age, Dr. Smeltzer said.
“Overall, we’re still finding that many in the lung cancer community are not satisfied with the current state of molecular testing. We’ve got suboptimal awareness of the evidence-based guidelines. We have barriers that remain to molecular testing, which we’ve identified, and [we’re] recommending continuous education around molecular testing, and that should be intensified on a national and international level to ensure that patients receive optimal therapy,” he concluded.
The IASLC survey was funded by AstraZeneca. Dr. Smeltzer reported receiving research support from the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation.
REPORTING FROM WCLC 2019