The Potential Benefit for a Blood-Based Test to Detect a T790M Mutation

September 9, 2014

Paul A. Bunn, Jr., MD, Giant of Cancer Care: Lung Cancer, professor of medicine in medical oncology, head of the division of medical oncology, University of Colorado, discusses the potential benefit for a blood-based test to detect a T790M mutation in lung cancer.

Clinical Pearls

Paul A. Bunn, Jr., MD, Giant of Cancer Care: Lung Cancer, professor of medicine in medical oncology, head of the division of medical oncology, University of Colorado, discusses the potential benefit for a blood-based test to detect a T790M mutation in lung cancer.

  • EGFR TKIs work extremely well in patients withEGFR-mutated lung cancer, but unfortunately, they are not curative. About 50% of the time, the cancer becomes resistant and develops aT790Mmutation.
  • Most patients withT790M-mutated lung cancer will secrete DNA with that mutation into the blood. Oftentimes, the DNA is secreted into the blood before the tumor is large enough to biopsy.
  • A blood- based test could help discover recurrence sooner.