Search

This paper summarizes the practical impact of the College of American Pathologists, the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, and the Association for Molecular Pathology lung cancer biomarkers guidelines on the lung cancer approach in Canada, providing possible practical solutions for other similar health care systems in which scientific reality needs to be constantly balanced against economic reality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canada's healthcare system, like others worldwide, is immersed in a process of evolution, attempting to adapt conventional frameworks of health technology assessment (HTA) and funding models to a new landscape of precision medicine in oncology. In particular, the need for real-world evidence in Canada is not matched by the necessary infrastructure and technologies required to integrate genomic and clinical data. Since healthcare systems in many developed nations face similar challenges, we adopted a solutions-based approach and conducted a search of worldwide programs in personalized medicine, with an emphasis on precision oncology. This search strategy included review articles published between 1 January 2016 and 1 March 2021 and hand-searches of their reference lists for relevant publications back to 1 December 2005. Thirty-nine initiatives across 37 countries in Europe, Australasia, Africa, and the Americas had the potential to lead to real-world data (RWD) on the clinical utility of oncology biomarkers. We highlight four initiatives with helpful lessons for Canada: Genomic Medicine France 2025, UNICANCER, the German Medical Informatics Initiative, and CANCER-ID. Among the 35 other programs evaluated, the main themes included the need for collaboration and systems to support data harmonization across multiple jurisdictions. In order to generate RWD in precision oncology that will prove acceptable to HTA bodies, Canada must take a national approach to biomarker strategy and unite all stakeholders at the highest level to overcome jurisdictional and technological barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Canada and remains associated with high mortality. Nevertheless, recent advances in the fields of immuno-oncology and precision medicine have led to significant improvements in clinical outcome in metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (nsclc). Those improvements were facilitated by a greater understanding of the biologic classification of nsclc, which catalyzed discoveries of novel therapies. Here, we present a comprehensive review of the recent avalanche of practice-changing trials in metastatic nsclc, and we offer an approach to the management of this disease from a Canadian perspective. We begin with an overview of the pathologic and molecular characterization of metastatic nsclc. Next, we review the indications for currently approved immune checkpoint inhibitors, and we provide an approach to the management of disease with a driver mutation. Finally, we address future avenues in both diagnostics and therapeutics for patients with advanced and metastatic nsclc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]