Should I have tumor testing done?

Sometimes the term genetic testing is incorrectly used instead of tumor testing. Genetic testing has to do with the inherited risk of developing cancer. This may or may not be important to an individual. However, to someone who has been diagnosed with lung cancer, testing that tumor for mutations is extremely important. I cannot emphasize the importance of this enough. Your tumor must be tested to see if you may be a good candidate for targeted therapy.
The good news is that breakthroughs in lung cancer treatment are happening faster than ever. The bad news is many doctors are unable to keep up with these groundbreaking discoveries. Ask your doctor to order testing for your tumor. It could make major changes in your recommended course of treatment.

In non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), researchers have identified several genetic mutations that are known to play critical roles in the development and progression of the disease, which has led to the development of targeted therapies to treat lung cancers that display these mutations. More information is available here: https://lungcancer.net/genetic-abnormalities. Molecular testing can identify these mutations, which can lead to more personalized treatments in the form of targeted therapies. Guidelines, created in 2013 by the College of American Pathologists recommend that all patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma should be tested for abnormalities in EGFR and ALK, regardless of other clinical variables (https://lungcancer.net/diagnosis/antibody-molecular-testing)