Lung cancer biomarker tests: the history and perspective in Japan

Biomarker testing is recognized as being indispensable for selecting patients with advanced lung cancer. EGFR mutation is the first biomarker for therapeutic selection of lung cancer patients since the identification of the correlation between EGFR TKI response and EGFR mutation status. The biomarker testing in Japan mostly follows those corresponding to the US. However, there are some differences due to the national health care program and the medical environment. In this review, we introduce the history and current status of the biomarker testing for lung cancer in Japan and discuss perspectives, focusing on cell-free DNA (cfDNA)-based panel testing.