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Updated: Aug 23, 2025
Author Spotlight: Advancements in Molecular Biomarker Testing for Non-Squamous Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Published on: September 8, 2023
Impact of Clinical Practice Gaps on the Implementation of Personalized Medicine in Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung
Helen Sadik1, Daryl Pritchard2, Derry-Mae Keeling1
1Diaceutics, Belfast, United Kingdom.
Purpose:
Personalized medicine presents new opportunities for patients with cancer. However, many patients do not receive the most effective personalized treatments because of challenges associated with integrating predictive biomarker testing into clinical care. Patients are lost at various steps along the precision oncology pathway because of operational inefficiencies, limited understanding of biomarker strategies, inappropriate testing result usage, and access barriers. We examine the impact of various clinical practice gaps associated with diagnostic testing-informed personalized medicine strategies on the treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (aNSCLC).
Methods:
Using Diaceutics' Data Repository, a multisource database including commercial and Medicare claims and laboratory data from over 500,000 patients with non-small-cell lung cancer in the United States, we analyzed the number of patients with newly diagnosed aNSCLC who could have, but did not, benefit from a personalized treatment. The analysis focuses on the independent and cumulative impacts of gaps occurring during seven steps of the precision oncology pathway, from diagnosis to treatment.
Results:
For every 1,000 patients in the study cohort, 497 (49.7%) are lost to precision oncology because of factors associated with getting biomarker test results. Among the 503 of 1,000 patients who did receive results from a biomarker test, 147 (29.2%) did not receive appropriate targeted treatments. Thus, approximately 64% of potentially eligible patients with aNSCLC are not benefiting from precision oncology therapies appropriate for their disease.
Conclusion:
Most patients with aNSCLC eligible for precision oncology treatments do not benefit from them because of clinical practice gaps. This finding is likely reflective of similar gaps in other cancer types. An increased understanding of the impact of each practice gap can inform strategies to improve the delivery of precision oncology, helping to fully realize the promise of personalized medicine.
Insights
Most advanced non-small-cell lung cancer patients miss personalized treatments due to clinical gaps in biomarker testing and result utilization. Improving these steps can enhance precision oncology delivery and patient outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Genetics
- Clinical Practice
Background:
- Personalized medicine offers tailored cancer treatments.
- Integrating predictive biomarker testing into clinical care faces significant challenges.
- Gaps in the precision oncology pathway limit patient access to effective treatments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine clinical practice gaps in diagnostic testing-informed personalized medicine for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (aNSCLC).
- To analyze the impact of inefficiencies, understanding, result usage, and access barriers on precision oncology.
- To quantify the number of patients not benefiting from personalized treatments due to these gaps.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Diaceutics' Data Repository, including claims and lab data from over 500,000 US patients with non-small-cell lung cancer.
- Analyzed seven steps of the precision oncology pathway, from diagnosis to treatment.
- Focused on patients with newly diagnosed aNSCLC who could have benefited from personalized treatment but did not.
Main Results:
- 49.7% of patients were lost to precision oncology due to issues with biomarker test results.
- Of those receiving results, 29.2% did not get appropriate targeted treatments.
- Approximately 64% of potentially eligible aNSCLC patients do not benefit from precision oncology therapies.
Conclusions:
- Clinical practice gaps prevent most eligible aNSCLC patients from benefiting from precision oncology treatments.
- These findings likely apply to other cancer types.
- Understanding practice gaps is crucial for improving precision oncology delivery and realizing personalized medicine's potential.
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