EGFR mutation testing dropped substantially once funding from the pharmaceutical industry was discontinued

Main Category: Lung Cancer
Article Date: 29 Jul 2013 - 1:00 PDT Current ratings for:
EGFR mutation testing dropped substantially once funding from the pharmaceutical industry was discontinued

Significant advances have taken place in the management of patients with advanced and metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) over the last 5 years. Traditionally, all advanced NSCLC patients were treated in a similar manner. More recently, the importance of pathologic subtype has been recognized. Data from several randomized trials demonstrate that epidermal growth factor (EGFR) mutation status is predictive of improved survival and quality of life with selected systemic therapies.

Researchers in Canada examined the barriers to the initial implementation of the national EGFR testing policy. In the September issue of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer's journal, the Journal of Thoracic Oncology (JTO), researchers conclude that the uptake of EGFR mutation testing dropped substantially once funding from the pharmaceutical industry was discontinued.

The Canadian health care system is publicly funded through each province or territory. EGFR mutation testing was not available in Canada outside of research laboratories before March 2010. Five laboratories across the country undertook validation and quality-control processes to establish a network for EGFR mutation testing using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Laboratories were reimbursed for testing by AstraZeneca Canada for an initial 12 months. Patients were eligible for EGFR mutation testing if they had advanced/metastatic NSCLC and non-squamous histology.

At the end of 12 months, when the EGFR mutation testing and associated compassionate gefitinib program supported by AstraZeneca were completed, there was a substantial drop in the number of EGFR test requests. Over the next 6 months, the number of tests performed monthly ranged from 50 to 120 in comparison to 200 to 250 tests per month in the first 12 months.

Researchers conclude, "there is a need for a national strategy to ensure resources are in place to implement molecular testing for new molecularly targeted agents."

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our lung cancer section for the latest news on this subject.

The lead author is IASLC member Dr. Peter Ellis. Dr. Natasha Leighl is a co-author and IASLC member.

International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer

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'EGFR mutation testing dropped substantially once funding from the pharmaceutical industry was discontinued'

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EGFR mutation testing dropped substantially once funding from the pharmaceutical industry was discontinued

Main Category: Lung Cancer
Article Date: 29 Jul 2013 - 1:00 PDT Current ratings for:
EGFR mutation testing dropped substantially once funding from the pharmaceutical industry was discontinued

Significant advances have taken place in the management of patients with advanced and metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) over the last 5 years. Traditionally, all advanced NSCLC patients were treated in a similar manner. More recently, the importance of pathologic subtype has been recognized. Data from several randomized trials demonstrate that epidermal growth factor (EGFR) mutation status is predictive of improved survival and quality of life with selected systemic therapies.

Researchers in Canada examined the barriers to the initial implementation of the national EGFR testing policy. In the September issue of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer's journal, the Journal of Thoracic Oncology (JTO), researchers conclude that the uptake of EGFR mutation testing dropped substantially once funding from the pharmaceutical industry was discontinued.

The Canadian health care system is publicly funded through each province or territory. EGFR mutation testing was not available in Canada outside of research laboratories before March 2010. Five laboratories across the country undertook validation and quality-control processes to establish a network for EGFR mutation testing using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Laboratories were reimbursed for testing by AstraZeneca Canada for an initial 12 months. Patients were eligible for EGFR mutation testing if they had advanced/metastatic NSCLC and non-squamous histology.

At the end of 12 months, when the EGFR mutation testing and associated compassionate gefitinib program supported by AstraZeneca were completed, there was a substantial drop in the number of EGFR test requests. Over the next 6 months, the number of tests performed monthly ranged from 50 to 120 in comparison to 200 to 250 tests per month in the first 12 months.

Researchers conclude, "there is a need for a national strategy to ensure resources are in place to implement molecular testing for new molecularly targeted agents."

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our lung cancer section for the latest news on this subject.

The lead author is IASLC member Dr. Peter Ellis. Dr. Natasha Leighl is a co-author and IASLC member.

International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer

Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

MLA

International Association for the Study of Lung Ca. "EGFR mutation testing dropped substantially once funding from the pharmaceutical industry was discontinued." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 29 Jul. 2013. Web.
29 Jul. 2013. APA
International Association for the Study of Lung Ca. (2013, July 29). "EGFR mutation testing dropped substantially once funding from the pharmaceutical industry was discontinued." Medical News Today. Retrieved from
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/264015.php.

Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.

'EGFR mutation testing dropped substantially once funding from the pharmaceutical industry was discontinued'

Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.

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Greater success in personalized medicine class by students who underwent genetic testing

Main Category: Medical Students / Training
Also Included In: Genetics
Article Date: 25 Jul 2013 - 0:00 PDT Current ratings for:
Greater success in personalized medicine class by students who underwent genetic testing

Students who had their genome tested as part of a groundbreaking medical school course on personalized medicine improved their knowledge of the class materials by an average of 31 percent compared with those who didn't undergo the testing, according to a study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

While the sample size was small - 23 students sent their saliva to a commercial genetics testing company; eight did not - the results may encourage educators to consider this approach in the future, the authors said.

"These results indicate that learning principles of human genetics is more powerful, and learning is more sustained, when exploring your own data," said Keyan Salari, MD, PhD, a former Stanford student who initially proposed the course, called "Genomics and Personalized Medicine." Salari, who is the lead author of the study, is now a urology resident at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. The study was published in PLOS ONE.

The eight-week elective course was the first in the country to give students in advanced-degree programs the option of personal genotyping as part of the curriculum. It was designed to teach them how the explosion of knowledge about genetics over the past 10 years could affect the treatment of patients. Since the course was first offered in 2010, the use of genetic testing in clinical care has grown.

The course, which is still being taught, was designed as a way to train future doctors and scientists in the skills necessary to use this new tool. The study, which was based on a pre- and post-course survey taken voluntarily by the majority of the students in the class, also showed that personal testing and the use of personal genotype data in the classroom did not appear to cause significant anxiety.

"This was a novel teaching approach," said Kelly Ormond, co-author of the study and associate professor of genetics. "There is always a lot of interest in whether personalized learning can influence education. ... What our study shows is that it might have benefits for some self-selected students, and is worthy of cautious consideration."

Initially controversial, the course was only approved after a campus task force met regularly for a year to debate the pros and cons of students undergoing genetic testing as part of a class. A number of concerns were raised, including the possible anxiety of learning they could be more susceptible to certain diseases, such as diabetes or Parkinson's. A number of safeguards were subsequently included as part of the course plan, including complete anonymity as to which students chose to undergo testing.

Salari conceived of the idea for the course in 2009 as a PhD student in genetics. He was working as a teaching assistant in the first-year human genetics course for medical students. At the time, the course curriculum consisted primarily of traditional genetics and didn't reflect the genomics revolution of the past 10 years. Salari had also recently undergone his own genetic testing, and saw the educational benefits.

"I was curious about what stories were hidden in my genome, what health risks, what responses to drugs that might be predicted," Salari said. "For instance, I learned I might have a higher risk for age-related macular degeneration. That led me to read and learn a lot more about the genetics of that disease than I probably would have otherwise."

He added: "I wanted to find a way to translate my passion for genomics to all these medical students."

Study results also showed that 83 percent of students who chose to undergo testing were pleased with their decision. Seventy percent of those who underwent the testing reported a better understanding of human genetics on the basis of having undergone testing. The post-course survey also asked students who underwent the testing whether they made any behavioral changes based on the results, such as lifestyle changes or making appointments with doctors. Some initial behavior changes were reported. Yet in a previous study involving face-to-face interviews with the same students, no behavior changes were reported six months after the end of the course.

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our medical students / training section for the latest news on this subject.

Other Stanford authors included Konrad Karczewski, a bioinformatics PhD student, and Louanne Hudgins, MD, professor of pediatrics and of medical genetics.

Stanford University Medical Center

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Stanford University Medical Center. "Greater success in personalized medicine class by students who underwent genetic testing." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 25 Jul. 2013. Web.
26 Jul. 2013. APA

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'Greater success in personalized medicine class by students who underwent genetic testing'

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