Dr. Bazhenova on the Importance of Testing for HER2 Mutations in Lung Cancer

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Lyudmila A. Bazhenova, MD, medical oncologist and professor of clinical medicine at the University of California, San Diego, discusses the importance of testing for HER2 mutations in lung cancer.

HER2 mutations are present in approximately 2% of patients with lung cancer, Bazhenova explains. Moreover, next-generation sequencing panels typically test for HER2 alterations, Bazhenova says.

However, whether testing for HER2 mutations should be considered standard in lung cancer is debated, Bazhenova says. Currently, no HER2-directed therapies are approved to treat patients with lung cancer, although several are in development, Bazhenova says. Therefore, if clinical trials are being considered for a patient with lung cancer, it is important to test for HER2 mutations to determine if the patient is eligible, Bazhenova says. Additionally, if HER2-directed therapies receive FDA approval, testing for HER2 mutations will be necessary in all patients with lung cancer, concludes Bazhenova.