A Call to Service: Precision Oncology Clinical Studies

Precision Oncology is a newer term that describes a major advancement in treating cancer. Precision oncology describes the technique of looking deep within a cancer cell and identifying the mutation that caused the cancer in the first place. These mutations are often called driver mutations because they drive the uncontrolled growth of the cancer. However, once they are identified, research has developed medications that selectively prevent the driver mutation from causing cancer cell growth. Because these medications specifically target the driver mutation, they spare the normal cells of a patient’s body. This allows selective targeting of the cancer cells by the precision oncology medicines that have better outcomes with less side effects.

This was first demonstrated in lung cancer with the finding of a driver mutation in a part of our lung cells called the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR). Patients diagnosed with EGFR positive lung cancer are often told they “won the lottery” because the medications work so well and are usually amazingly well tolerated. If you or a loved one is diagnosed with lung cancer, be sure to ask if the tumor has a driver mutation that could be targeted.

But this precision oncology medicine’s success in EGFR positive lung cancer only came about through decades of research and clinical studies to learn how to use these medications. There are so many additional driver mutations that either have an approved medicine to target (e.g. ALK-EML4, ROS, BRAF) or are in clinical studies trying to bring additional weapons into the fight against lung cancer (see figure below, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctrv.2021.102179).

But these driver mutations are not that common which makes clinical studies difficult to complete. And without these clinical studies, we delay bringing critically important anti-cancer precision oncology medicines to the fight against lung cancer.

We need to thank all lung cancer patients who contributed to the prior clinical studies. And pre-emptively thank all those who will participate in the future. Participation in clinical studies of precision oncology medications needs your help to bring the fight to lung cancer.

‘Til No One Dies of Lung Cancer!