Dr. Aggarwal on Treating Patients With EGFR Mutations in NSCLC

Charu Aggarwal, MD, MPH, Leslye M. Heisler Associate Professor for Lung Cancer Excellence, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, discusses treating patients with EGFR-mutant non­–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Uncommon EGFR mutations represent a distinct subgroup of NSCLC that may not respond to currently available agents that target sensitizing EGFR mutations, Aggarwal explains. Clinicians will often determine the type of mutation and prescribe therapies that are geared towards that particular mutation, Aggarwal adds.

Additionally, next-generation sequencing should be performed for all patients that present with nonsquamous NSCLC, Aggarwal continues. Plasma sequencing may be performed in addition to tissue sequencing because tissue sequencing may sometimes be inadequate, Aggarwal concludes.