CYNOGEN Answers Commonly Asked Questions about Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)

The following frequently asked questions are intended to provide background information to patients preparing to discuss non-small cell lung cancer with an oncologist.

 

How common is lung cancer overall?

Lung cancer comprises 14% of all cancer diagnoses. It’s the #1 cause of cancer death and the #3 cancer incidence. It’s a cancer that forms in the tissues of the lung, usually in the cells lining air passages.

 

What are the symptoms of lung cancer?

  • A cough that doesn’t go away
  • Trouble breathing
  • Chest discomfort
  • Wheezing
  • Streaks of blood in mucus coughed up from the lungs
  • Hoarseness
  • Loss of appetite
  • Weight loss for no known reason
  • Feeling very tired
  • Incidental finding on an x-ray

 

How is lung cancer classified?

The World Health Organization indicates that 13% of lung cancer is small cell lung cancer and that 87% is non-small cell lung cancer.

 

What are the sub-types of NSCLC?

  • Adenocarcinoma
  • Squamous cell
  • Large cell
  • Mixed or not otherwise specified (NOS)

 

Is smoking a proven risk factor for lung cancer?

In NSCLC patients with adenocarcinoma and squamous cell cancer, smoking is strongly associated with the cancer.

 

What are the stages of lung cancer?  

Stage 1 (growth limited to lung)

Stage 2 (spread to lymph nodes within lung)

Stage 3 (spread to lymph nodes between lungs)

Stage 4 (metastasized to distant sites)

 

How is lung cancer diagnosed?

Oncologists seeking to classify cell type, determine the extent of the cancer, establish surgical margins, and determine molecular abnormalities likely to respond to targeted drug therapies commonly order:

  • Imaging           
  • Diagnostic laboratory tests, including molecular tests

 

What type of tissue samples may be required for molecular testing and is surgery required?

A surgical procedure is required to obtain tissue needed for available molecular tests.  Your oncologist in conjunction with a pathologist and surgeon will determine which of the following sampling may be required:

  • Core needle biopsy
  • Fine needle aspirate
  • Bronchial brushing/washing
  • Bronchoscopic biopsy and cytology
  • Lymph node sample
  • Resected tissue

 

What are the treatment options for NSCLC?

Your oncologist can talk with you about treatment options, which are guided by cancer type and stage and also by gene mutations or rearrangements. The options may include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, a combination of radiation and chemotherapy, and targeted drug therapies.

 

If NSCLC is the diagnosis, can an oncologist order testing to determine the possible need for the targeted therapeutic drug, XALKORI®?

Yes, your oncologist may order Vysis ALK, which is the only FDA-approved ALK companion diagnostic validated in the XALKORI® clinical trial.

 

What should I do if I have questions or need more information?

Always talk to your physician about your particular medical status and options.


 

*The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN Guidelines™) for non-small cell lung cancer recommends ALK testing concurrently with EGFR mutation testing for diagnosing the following NSCLC histological subtypes: adenocarcinomas, large cell carcinomas, and NOS (not otherwise specified).

 

For Indications and Important Safety Information, please click here.

 

References

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN Guidelines™)

American Cancer Society

American Lung Association

National Cancer Institute

National Cancer Institute SEER data