A Genetic Mutation May Help Explain Lung Cancer in Nonsmokers

A few months later, his daughter, who is now 33, was diagnosed with melanoma in her ear and was asked about her family history of cancer. She joined a study and provided samples to look for markers of cancer, and while she did not carry many common cancer mutations, she did carry T790M. But for now, there are no evidence-based recommendations to follow when it comes to how she should be monitoring her lungs for signs of cancer. “That’s why I’m pushing for how we can screen younger people, knowing that she has a genetic risk, and what low-dose screening she should get,” says McKenna. “If something were to appear, she can catch it at an early stage, perhaps Stage I, and not go through Stage IV, because there are not as many options, and the outlook is not as positive.”

LoPiccolo is conducting a study, called INHERIT, which includes people from across the country with any inherited genetic risk for lung cancer, including the EGFR T790M mutation. Doctors will work with each participant to understand their family history of lung cancer, smoking history, genetic profile, and any environmental exposures that might contribute to lung cancer before coming up with a personalized plan for how often they should be screened with low-dose CT scans to look for cancer. “The goal is to use CT screening to detect lung cancer at the earliest, most curable stage when it can be removed or cured,” says LoPiccolo.