Your treatment team requested for you to have biomarker testing. Biomarker testing looks for specific features of cancer cells. This testing is done using a tumor biopsy or a blood sample.
Biomarker testing, sometimes called molecular or tumor testing, looks for genetic changes in the tumor’s DNA. The changes are called mutations. This is not the same thing as a genetic change passed down through families.
When you had a biomarker test done, it showed your tumor had a mutation in a gene called “EGFR.”
Certain mutations, including EGFR, can affect how NSCLC grows and spreads. It can also guide your treatment team in choosing a treatment for your NSCLC.
Over time, your cancer may change. Your treatment team may test for biomarkers more than once to check for any changes in your cancer.