Sarah A. Alwardt, PhD

Results from the first phase of the broad, collaborative MYLUNG research study in lung cancer provide a close-up look at current biomarker testing rates and turnaround times for patients treated in community practices within The US Oncology Network.

Therapies targeting oncogenesis and the tumor microenvironment are increasingly replacing chemotherapies as first-line treatments for non–small cell lung cancer.

Due to efforts to reduce exposure to the coronavirus, oncology patient volumes initially decreased, treatment regimens were disrupted or altered, and new cancer diagnoses also slowed. This affected not only patient care, but also clinical trials.

Much is still unknown about the cancer process and how targeted therapies work on specific tumor vulnerabilities. Providers must closely follow evolving information, especially regarding adverse events.

As efforts to reduce exposure to the coronavirus ramped up, nonemergency surgical procedures were halted, screening procedures were delayed, and the amount of new cancer diagnoses declined.