ASCP and Genentech Join Forces to Advance Education on NSCLC Biomarker Testing for the AP Team

Waiting for biomarker testing results or having inadequate samples can delay treatment for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Time and accuracy are of the essence for these patients. ASCP and Genentech are partnering to develop cutting-edge education and resources to facilitate best practices for anatomic pathology (AP) teams to improve NSCLC patients' experiences. The aim of this initiative is to ensure that AP laboratory managers and their teams have the latest knowledge to ensure continuous quality improvement in biomarker testing. 

The initiative’s “Best Practices in NSCLC Biomarker Testing” Videoconference Series will provide AP laboratory managers and their teams with knowledge related to best practices in NSCLC biomarker testing, examples of success stories and guidance on real-life challenges they may face. This interactive videoconference series leverages the Project ECHO® approach, in which experts will present on various topics related to NSCLC biomarker testing. In addition, participants will share their success stories and relevant real-world scientific and implementation challenges from their institutions, and seek feedback from participants and ASCP experts through discussion.

Through this partnership, ASCP will also create an Online Resource Hub to provide supporting resources, and will offer a summit focused on NSCLC biomarker testing. Other activities will include the creation of a Facebook group to foster networking and discussion. The summit, videoconference series, online resource hub and Facebook group will be designed to promote best practices in pre-analytic, analytic and post-analytic biomarker testing for patients with NSCLC. 

“The initiative pioneered by ASCP and Genentech will provide engaging opportunities for AP teams to create a community with solution-minded colleagues across unique laboratory settings.  Through collaborative interactions, the goal of elevating patient outcomes will be realized through real-life quality improvement successes in the space of NSCLC biomarker workflows,” said Amy Spiczka, MS, SCT, HTL, MB(ASCP)CM, ASCP Senior Director, Quality and Patient Safety. 

Potential topics for ECHO sessions include:  optimal procurement, fixation, and tissue/cytology specimen handling; actionable results and turnaround time indicators for NSCLC workflows, management of insufficient specimens for NSCLC biomarker testing; quality measures and continuous quality improvement for NSCLC biomarker testing; and laboratory information system (LIS) and electronic health record (EHR) implementation and protocol optimization for NSCLC biomarker testing. 

As this initiative gets underway, look for additional details on ASCP’s lung cancer page: https://www.ascp.org/content/learning/lung-cancer