Support and Resources for NSCLC Patients

Stage I and stage II cancers are described as early-stage cancers. Stage III cancers are described as locally advanced but may be included in early-stage in some cases. In early-stage NSCLC, your cancer may be removed or resected by surgery and has not spread to body parts far from the lung tumor.

When NSCLC is considered stage IV, or metastatic, it means cancer has spread to tissue outside of the lung, and from one lung to the other lung. Most lung cancers are diagnosed at stage IV.

Biomarker testing can help detect possible driver mutations and an immune protein in your cancer that may be causing it to grow and spread.

The term “comprehensive” is used if your doctor looks for all possible mutations, regardless of whether there are treatment options for all mutations.

Biomarker test results can reveal specific information about your type of NSCLC and which treatment options may be appropriate to treat your specific type of cancer.

Targeted therapy is a treatment option for patients with certain targetable biomarkers located on cancer cells to slow growth.

Immunotherapy is a treatment with drugs that helps the body to find and destroy cancer cells.

Chemotherapy refers to cancer drugs that stop the cell life cycle, so cells don’t increase in number.

Radiation therapy refers to a treatment that uses intense energy to kill cancer cells.

Biomarker testing will be performed depending on your stage of lung cancer and previous treatment journey.

For early-stage NSCLC patients, testing for biomarkers is done on tissue removed during a tissue biopsy or during surgery to remove the tumor. A tissue biopsy removes tissue from a tumor and can be performed as a separate procedure or as part of a surgical resection.

There are two ways to test for biomarkers in stage IV lung cancer: a tissue biopsy removes tissue from a tumor and can be done as a separate procedure or as part of a surgical resection; a blood test can also be used (called a liquid biopsy). Talk to your doctor about which option is right for you.

Biomarker testing may reveal whether you have any actionable biomarkers and an immune protein. When you receive your biomarker testing results, your healthcare team will explain them and help you understand your treatment options moving forward.

Some lung cancers do not have a known biomarker for which there is treatment. Treatment options for these cancers are based on the lung cell type. Your doctor or healthcare team will help to determine the appropriate treatment plan for your specific type of lung cancer, which may include a clinical trial.