2024 World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) - ePosters-EP.06B.08 Biomarker-Guided Treatment Selection in NSCLC: A Quality Improvement Initiative to Strengthen Multidisciplinary Care

EP.06B.08 Biomarker-Guided Treatment Selection in NSCLC: A Quality Improvement Initiative to Strengthen Multidisciplinary Care

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The document outlines a Quality Improvement (QI) initiative aimed at enhancing multidisciplinary care and molecular testing for advanced/metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This initiative, supported by grants from Lilly USA, LLC, and Merck Sharp & Dohme, LLC, targets improved workflow efficiencies, such as reduced time between diagnosis and Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) test ordering, and enhanced communication within multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) during tissue procurement and processing.<br /><br />Conducted between February and April 2023, the study involved surveys from 58 healthcare providers across four U.S. oncology clinics. The providers consisted of various specialists, including oncologists, pathologists, and nurses. Key findings include the recognition of guideline-concordant biomarker testing as crucial for treatment selection in NSCLC, yet hindered by practical challenges like insufficient tissue quality and extended NGS turnaround times (15–20 days).<br /><br />Audit/feedback sessions with 30 healthcare providers highlighted barriers and led to process improvements, such as improved MDT communication and coordination with radiology and pathology. Follow-up surveys indicated an increase in confidence among healthcare providers in both applying molecular test results to treatment decisions and ordering guideline-concordant testing. However, only 53% reported participation in multidisciplinary tumor boards.<br /><br />The initiative spotlighted significant progress in integrating biomarker testing into clinical practices, such as selecting a suitable NGS platform and advancing competencies in actionable biomarkers. Nevertheless, challenges remain, including whether to initiate treatment before receiving molecular results and prioritizing testing when tissue is limited. Efforts to foster scalable interventions across community oncology clinics continue, aiming to strengthen comprehensive care and treatment decision-making for NSCLC patients.

Asset Subtitle

Benjamin Levy

Meta Tag

Speaker Benjamin Levy

Topic Pathology and Biomarkers

Keywords

Quality Improvement

multidisciplinary care

molecular testing

non-small cell lung cancer

Next-Generation Sequencing

biomarker testing

healthcare providers

tissue procurement

treatment decision-making

community oncology clinics