Ask the Experts: When Do You Recommend Repeat Biopsies for A

[NikoleV]

Ask the Experts: When Do You Recommend Repeat Biopsies for Advanced NSCLC?

May 7th, 2013 - by Dr. Jack West

http://expertblog.lungevity.org/2013/05 ... repeat-bx/

At the recent “Targeted Therapies in Lung Cancer” conference in Los Angeles, I had the opportunity to ask several other lung cancer experts about their approach to repeat biopsies for lung cancer, either if a patient doesn’t have enough tissue for molecular testing at initial diagnosis, or in the setting of acquired resistance. What is the benefit? Do they consider it desirable, necessary, or neither? Are there practical barriers, such as insurance coverage, or significant safety concerns? Here are the comments from several experts on the subject:

(Click link above to view the discussions below)

Dr. Heather Wakelee, Stanford Univ, on the question of whether to favor a repeat biopsy at the time of initial diagnosis if a patient has insufficient tissue for molecular testing

Dr. David Spigel, Sarah Cannon Cancer Center, on his approach to recommending a repeat biopsy for patients with insufficient tissue for molecular testing

Dr. Karen Reckamp, City of Hope Cancer Center, on recommending repeat biopsies at initial diagnosis or in setting of acquired resistance

Drs. Ross Camidge, U Colorado, and Corey Langer, U Penn, on when they recommend a repeat biopsy

Dr. Geoffrey Oxnard, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, on insurance coverage issues around repeat biopsies

Dr. Sarah Goldberg, Yale Univ, on value of repeat biopsies in setting of acquired resistance

Dr. Greg Riely, Memorial Sloan-Kettering, on the value of repeat biopsies in the setting of acquired resistance

I hope you find these discussions from multiple different experts helpful as we consider how to approach these still very open questions.