Biomarker testing and targeted therapy is significantly underused for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the U.S., according to an analysis of point-of-care real-world data conducted by Amplity Health.
The Langhorne, PA-based contract medical and health information company presented findings from its research at the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago on June 3.
Amplity's ASCO poster, "Biomarker Testing and Targeted Therapy Use Among Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in the United States: An Analysis Using a Physician Notes Real-World Database," used data from the company's Insights database. Identifying 61,018 patients who had been diagnosed with NSCLC between October 2003 and November 2023, the Amplity researchers concluded from the data that, of these patients, only 13.4% (8,151 patients) were recorded as having been biomarker tested.
Moreover, of the 6,387 patients for whom a mutation was identified, only about 36% (2,295 patients) received an appropriate targeted treatment. Regional differences were also noted in biomarker testing rates, suggesting that social determinants may influence access to biomarker testing as well, Amplity noted in the poster.
The findings highlight critical gaps in testing practices and emphasize the need for improved diagnostic strategies, Amplity said in a statement.
