Lung cancer

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer, and cancer deaths, worldwide.³ In 2022, there were an estimated 2.4 million new lung cancer cases diagnosed, and one in five cancer deaths is due to lung cancer.³ Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most prevalent form, accounting for about 80-85% of all cases.

As the leading cause of cancer, the economic burden of lung cancer is significant. Direct and indirect costs increase as the disease advances, and overall the burden is larger than that for breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer combined.⁵

Thankfully, in recent years, the number of new lung cancer diagnoses is falling, and mortality rates are steadily declining. This is likely a reflection of advances in treatment and early detection,⁶ demonstrating the importance of diagnostic solutions.

As the understanding of lung cancer grows, we have a much clearer idea of what takes place in lung cancer cells, how the immune system controls lung cancers, and how we can act on this new knowledge.¹ Greater understanding of the disease has led to a rapid expansion in treatment options, as well as advanced diagnostic techniques, creating a complex landscape for diagnosis.⁷

Based on data from >500,000 patients with non-small cell lung cancer, 64% of eligible patients are estimated to lose out on receiving targeted therapies because of gaps in clinical practice. Patients are lost along the treatment pathway when, for example, biopsies are not performed, insufficient samples are taken, and tests are not ordered. Missteps within diagnostics mean that the treatment decision window is often missed. An estimated 50% of eligible patients are lost due to factors related to biomarker testing, such as limited understanding of biomarker strategies.⁸

Helping to overcome diagnostic challenges is critical to enable timely diagnoses and drive better treatment outcomes for patients with lung cancer. That is why we are exploring innovative diagnostic solutions and working collaboratively with clinicians and other stakeholders in the healthcare ecosystem to ensure patients are presented with the best solutions at every stage of the patient pathway.

The complexity of evidence, guidelines, and advanced diagnostics in lung cancer make finding answers a difficult process. At Roche, we provide solutions across the patient journey, empowering clinicians to make timely and confident decisions that lead to better patient outcomes.

Improved efficiency:

• Broad next-generation sequencing-based genomic profiling may help avoid potentially missed treatment options in real-world NSCLC patients¹⁰
• Digital solutions can enhance the monitoring of clinical operations efficiency, such as generating nearly three times more molecular reports per hour with the navify® Mutation Profiler¹¹
• Fully-automated solutions aim to ensure sample and patient traceability and eliminate sources of errors to enhance standardization and consistency¹²

Flexible solutions to meet customer needs:

• Large installed base for immunohistochemistry (IHC)/in situ hybridization (ISH) instruments¹² offers different options depending on lab size and volume¹³
• Testing flexibility with in-house testing and send-out models¹⁴
• Diagnostic and digital solutions support treatment in line with medical guidelines (e.g. navify® Clinical Hub)
• Different sample types provide a broad range of diagnostic options that vary by procedure invasiveness

Timely results to match patient needs:

• Automation and ready-to-use reagents across different technologies (IHC, PCR and immunoassays) assist with short, predictable turnaround times for fast, accurate results delivery^15,16
• Collaboration and coordination with digital solutions and clinical decisions support connects stakeholders and information across the patient pathway

At Roche, we have a long term focus on collaboration as we value sustainable partnerships for support and consultancy.

Ongoing partnerships:

• We work with clinical and scientific experts, including the immunotherapy Centers of Research Excellence (imCORE) Network, to drive innovative research and share critical insights, expertise, and technologies¹⁷
• Through collaborations with vendors like EarlySign LungFlag™, we seek to accelerate the early identification and treatment of lung cancer.¹⁸ Our partnership with PathAI expands digital pathology capabilities for advanced companion diagnostics.¹⁹
• Roche invests heavily in sponsored studies, partner research, and generating clinical and economic evidence. Each year, we support over 340 ongoing clinical trials.²⁰

Supporting education:

• We collaborate with our customers to ensure that healthcare professionals are trained on the latest trends in diagnostics. By providing up-to-date information and education, we advance knowledge, support the interpretation of assays, and elevate confidence in diagnostic results.²¹
• We support studies and health economic models in lung cancer²²

Healthcare consultancy:

• We enhance the effectiveness of labs and hospitals by sharing our expertise, proven methodologies, deep-level analyses, and best practice experiences. Our services include analyzing workflows, data, and cash flows to drive improvement.
• We decrypt the complexities of diagnostics by providing clear, actionable plans. Our precise recommendations and targeted advice aim to boost operational efficiency, ensure sustainability, and drive healthcare transformation.²³