Biomarker testing can help shape more effective treatment regimens for lung cancer, helping patients avoid ineffective, less-targeted approaches, but it still isn’t used to its full potential for high-risk patients—a gap that’s particularly wide among the Black community.
That’s according to the American Lung Association, which on Tuesday unveiled a new initiative aimed at improving biomarker testing rates, specifically among patients facing the biggest disparities in lung cancer care.
The “Biomarker, Education, Awareness and Testing (BEAT) Lung Cancer” campaign is focused on increasing awareness about biomarker testing and lung cancer screening options across the U.S. and education about why the tests are important, especially among the Black community—with an ultimate goal of empowering Black patients with or without lung cancer to speak to their doctors about screening and biomarker testing.
The BEAT Lung Cancer website includes information about lung cancer—about the illness itself, its risk factors and the various tests available, complete with a quiz to test visitors’ knowledge about biomarker testing—along with patient testimonials about the benefits of getting tested, resources like checklists, FAQs and cancer treatment planning tools, and links to contact the ALA’s Lung Cancer HelpLine for more information.
The results of biomarker tests can help doctors pinpoint what in a patient’s individual genetic makeup is causing a tumor to grow, and so can therefore indicate that they might be best served by a specific targeted treatment.
Study data cited by the ALA and comprising patients with early-stage lung or breast cancer showed that while only 26% of eligible white patients underwent biomarker testing, even fewer eligible Black patients did so, at just 14%. Meanwhile, a recent ALA survey of 33 Black lung cancer patients found that more than 40% hadn’t discussed their lung cancer risk with their doctors before being diagnosed. And, once diagnosed, about a quarter of the patients said they hadn’t received biomarker testing, and about the same amount said their doctors hadn’t recommended the testing for their lung cancer.
Those findings are particularly troubling in light of statistics showing that Black patients, and particularly Black men, face higher lung cancer incidence and mortality rates than their white counterparts. According to data cited by the ALA, Black men are 11% more likely to be diagnosed with the disease, and nearly 10% more Black men than white men die from it.
“While lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S., there has been incredible progress in survival thanks in part to screening, biomarker testing and targeted treatments,” Harold Wimmer, president and CEO of the ALA, said in this week’s announcement. “Unfortunately, only about 4.5% of people eligible have been screened for lung cancer and a recent study found that 23% of people diagnosed with lung cancer received chemo and radiation therapy before they had received full biomarker testing, leading to potentially unnecessary treatment and time lost.”
He added, “This campaign will focus on increasing these numbers and improving the lives of people living with lung cancer, with a focus on the communities most impacted.”