Clinicians and pathologists will need to begin applying the growing scientific knowledge to best characterize a patient's tumor and possibly its driver mutations in order to help maximize immunotherapy benefit, according to a recent review. Until then, the ability to exploit genetic mutations with targeted therapies and drugs that can help an individual’s own immune system attack the non-small cell lung cancer will not benefit most patients.

The authors note that better understanding of host-tumor immune interactions will enable clinicians to expand therapeutic options. In particular, they point out that identifying immunotherapy biomarkers—which is still elusive—will help target which patients are most likely to derive a therapeutic response to immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Citation: Bernicker E. Next-generation sequencing and immunotherapy biomarkers: A medical oncology perspective. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2016; 140(3):245-248. doi:10.5858/arpa.2015-0287-SA.