How To Shutterstock Pd V2' title='How To Shutterstock Pd V2' />Liquid Biopsies What Lung Cancer Patients Needs to Know. Google Map Pin Vector Download For Computer'>Google Map Pin Vector Download For Computer. Just over a year ago, the FDA approved the first liquid biopsy test formally known as rapid plasma genotyping for lung cancer patients. This noninvasive test allows doctors to simply draw blood and examine the sample for free floating DNA from cancer cells in the sample. The cobas EGFR Mutation Test v. T7. 90. M. The mutation occurs in patients who carry the epidermal growth factor receptor EGFR gene mutations, which occur in 1. NSCLC. The T7. 90. M mutation gives patients an additional treatment option should those targeting EGFR, such as Tarceva erlotinib and Iressa gefitinib, stop working. The test comes with some caveats, though. Its unlikely to replace tissue biopsy in which a piece of tumor is removed from the body and examined in the lab for initial diagnosis. File Host Vao Youtube there. Most patients will still initially have a tissue biopsy, which can then be used to look for EGFR mutations and other genetic variations that can be targeted with pills. A liquid biopsy also cannot be used for tumor PD L1 expression, another tumor variation that can be targeted with immunotherapy drugs, such as Opdivo nivolumab and Keytruda pembrolizumab. The test for PD L1 expression requires a traditional biopsy, says Liang Cao, Ph. D, a staff researcher at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland. And liquid biopsy is not as definitive as tissue biopsy. The liquid biopsy is not perfectly sensitive, so it can miss mutations sometimes, says Nathan A. Pennell, MD, Ph. D, the director of the Lung Cancer Medical Oncology Program at the Cleveland Clinics Taussig Cancer Center in Ohio. But in certain circumstances, the liquid biopsy may be the way to go. Who should ask about itPatients with NSCLC Whose Cancer is Progressing on First or Second Generation EGFR Inhibitors Kevin M. Sullivan, MD, a medical oncologist at Northwell Health Cancer Institute in Lake Success, New York, regularly uses the liquid biopsy test with patients who have the EGFR mutation but whose cancer is still progressing after months of being treated with a first line targeted oral medication for EGFR mutations, such as Tarceva. In about 5. T7. 90. M mutation in their cancer that makes them resistant to the oral targeted medication that was previously controlling their disease, Dr. You are free to Share copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format for any purpose, even commercially. Sullivan says. In those cases, switching to Tagrisso osimertinib, a drug that targets T7. M, can help. The cobas EGFR Mutation Test includes testing for the T7. M mutation. In patients who have developed the mutation it can be detected about 7. Sullivan. Patients With NSCLC who Didnt Have Enough Tissue Available for Mutation Testing. Biopsy specimens may be too small or lack enough material for molecular testing, and therefore a liquid biopsy can be used to look for mutations. Another scenario, says Sullivan, is if the tumor is not easily reached and biopsy would be difficult or pose a risk to the patient. I have used plasma tests not necessarily just cobas a number of times when tissue was not easily available and found these tests to be fast, so treatment can start quickly, says Dr. Pennell. Patients With NSCLC who are too ill or Otherwise Unable to go Through a Tissue Biopsy Procedure. Lung biopsies are invasive and can be painful. Liquid biopsies, on the other hand, are not. Blood testing for EGFR mutations is very convenient and low risk just a needle stick for blood, says Pennell. A blood sample of 5 milliliters is taken and then spun down to get 2 milliliters of plasma, which is then analyzed for tumor DNA. Patients who Dont Have the Time to Wait for Results. Google is stepping up its effort to block phishing attempts that use app permissions to gain access to users Gmail accounts. These phishing attacks invite users to. Results for liquid biopsies are also faster than those for traditional tissue biopsies. A study published in the August 2. Nero 7 Premium Ultra Edition. JAMA Oncology involving 1. NSCLC found that the median turnaround time for liquid biopsies was three days, compared with 1. If a patient is very ill, a week or two makes a difference, says Pennell. Patients Whose Tumors Were not Tested for Mutations When They Were First Diagnosed Some patients arent offered mutation testing. If youre not, you should ask for it, say experts. Sometimes, biopsy specimens have been frozen and molecular testing on the stored specimen can be conducted after the fact, says Sullivan. If not, a liquid biopsy might offer key information about what treatment to try next, says Sullivan.