Procedures & Treatments

Drs. Leora Horn, Ben Solomon, & Jack West debate whether results from a European trial of chest radiation after chemotherapy for extensive stage small cell lung cancer should lead to a change in treatment for this setting.

Drs. Ben Solomon, Leora Horn, & Jack West evaluate the merits of broad genetic testing with a "next generation sequencing" platform compared to selective, limited testing for the most proven driver mutations in patients with advanced NSCLC.

Drs. Ben Solomon, Leora Horn, & Jack West assess the utility and limitations of "liquid biopsies", serum-based testing for molecular marker testing in lung cancer.

Drs. Leora Horn, Ben Solomon, & Jack West assess whether clinical factors such as being a never-smoker or having a driver mutation (EGFR, ALK, etc.) reliably predict minimal benefit from immunotherapy agents.

Dr. Eddie Garon from UCLA Medical Center reviews the general mechanism of action of immune checkpoint inhibitors and how they can be an effective therapy in lung cancer.

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center medical oncologist Dr. Greg Riely explains how testing for specific mutations in patients with advanced NSCLC can guide prognosis and treatment recommendations.

Dr. Eric Vallieres, thoracic surgeon, introduces us to and provides a brief history for the special case in lung cancer of a “Pancoast Tumor”, along with how its optimal treatment has evolved over several decades.

Liquid biopsies (also called serum testing) is a practice already approved in Europe for EGFR lung cancer patients. Drawing blood to test for acquired resistance is easier and quicker than needle biopsies. How long until it is standard practice in the US?

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As more immunotherapeutics become available to treat lung cancer, research must determine how to balance efficacy, toxicities, and cost. That means finding which patients who will benefit from which drugs while maintaining good quality of life.

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