KRAS TESTING
Are we ready for it?

Using ctDNA as a liquid biopsy may herald a revolution for tumor management. In the era of personalized medicine, liquid biopsies represent the turning point in cancer management. Furthermore, KRAS testing has a potentially bright future in the area of oncology for tumor diagnosis and appropriate treatment decisions. KRAS mutation analysis is ordered primarily to determine if metastatic colon cancer or non-small cell lung cancer is likely to respond to standard therapy, an anti-EGFR drug therapy. Tumors with the KRAS mutation do not respond to anti-EGFR therapy. If the patient’s tumor is negative for the most common KRAS mutation, tests for other less common mutations not detected by the current test may be used to help predict therapeutic responses.

In December 2019, AHF convened a meeting of Brazilian experts on the expansion of molecular testing and, specifically, KRAS testing in Brazil to develop recommendations for improving awareness and access of this testing in oncology in the country. The resulting article, "KRAS Testing: Are We Ready for It?", is published in Journal of Molecular and Genetic Medicine. Click here to read the full article.