The Complexities of Molecular Testing

Lawrence N. Shulman, MD, Lawrence N. Shulman, MD, chief of staff, senior vice president for medical affairs, director, Center for Global Cancer Medicine, director, Department of Regional Strategy and Development, chief, Division of General Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, discusses molecular testing.

Clinical Pearls:

• Molecular testing for all types of cancer is more complex than previously thought
• Physicians need to keep molecular testing guidelines current
• There are 60-70 different EGFR mutations and each mutation has different significance for different therapies
• Physicians learned at the 2013 Chemotherapy Foundation Symposium that patients with HER2 mutations in breast cancer will need different therapies than patients who have amplification or overexpression of HER2