Best Practices and Research Advances in Thoracic Oncology: A Regional Series SE Asia Course 2: Immunotherapy in Lung Cancer-Biomarkers for Immunotherapy

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Video Summary

Dr. Yasushi Yatabe from the National Cancer Center, Tokyo, discusses advancements in biomarkers for immune therapy, focusing on PD-L1 testing, tumor mutation burden (TMB), and microsatellite instability (MSI) for thoracic oncology. PD-L1 expression is crucial in guiding treatment for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), determining whether to use immunotherapy or chemotherapy based on expression levels. Harmonization studies aim to standardize PD-L1 assays due to varying criteria. TMB is another predictive factor, indicating that higher mutation burdens may lead to better immunotherapy outcomes. Challenges remain in standardizing TMB measurements across different assays. MSI, though a reliable predictor for colorectal cancer, is rare in lung cancer and not routinely tested. Dr. Yatabe also highlights promising biomarkers, such as ctDNA, for evaluating post-treatment outcomes. Overall, these advances enable more tailored treatment strategies, improving therapeutic efficacy in lung cancer patients.

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Yasushi Yatabe, MD, PhD

Keywords

biomarkers

PD-L1 testing

tumor mutation burden

microsatellite instability

thoracic oncology

immunotherapy