Virginia Cancer Specialists Joins MYLUNG Consortium, Aiming to Advance Use of Precision Medicine for Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients

MYLUNG to deepen understanding of barriers and address challenges to improve care for lung cancer patients, including those with targetable mutations

Fairfax, VA, February 4, 2021 — Virginia Cancer Specialists has joined the MYLUNG consortium, a large-scale, real-world research study designed to understand and optimize the treatment decision process in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Along with several other healthcare stakeholders, Virginia Cancer Specialists hopes to advance precision medicine for lung cancer patients in the community setting.

“Over the last couple of decades, we’ve made huge developments in the lung-cancer arena, this consortium continues to bring us closer to a moment when we can offer personalized therapies not only against NSCLC but potentially a much broader range of lung cancers, giving patients hope and extending their lives.” Alex Spira, MD, PhD, FACP

The MYLUNG consortium, which orchestrates the program, brings together several healthcare providers like Virginia Cancer Specialists with life sciences companies including Amgen, Eli Lilly and Company and Mirati Therapeutics, along with The US Oncology Network, US Oncology Research, and Ontada^TM – McKesson’s new oncology technology and insights business – all under a common goal to better understand and improve biomarker testing practices and processes in metastatic NSCLC.

“Whether due to long timeframes for molecular testing, lack of coverage or another factor, many patients are not receiving the molecular testing they need to initiate targeted therapy early in their cancer care journey,” said Robert L. Coleman, MD, FACOG, FACS, chief scientific officer, US Oncology Research. “In order to fulfill the promise of precision medicine for NSCLC patients, we need a fuller understanding of the barriers, challenges, risks and opportunities around molecularly guided therapies. MYLUNG, with the help of Virginia Cancer Specialists), will draw insights from these datasets that can lead to better therapy for patients in a timelier manner.”

One of the goals of MYLUNG is to develop and evaluate care interventions that optimize decision-making, including integration of molecular testing and appropriate use of targeted therapy. MYLUNG will consist of three protocols over a five-year period:

Protocol 1 retrospectively reviews real-world data from Ontada’s iKnowMed^SM electronic health records (EHRs) of about 3,500 patients treated by providers in The US Oncology Network to understand baseline data on testing across practices and identify historical barriers to testing and precision medicine in community practice.
Protocol 2, enrolling about 1,000 patients from approximately 10 practices, will monitor the real-world patient journey from presentation through their first line of cancer therapy, focusing on how diagnostic biomarker information is obtained, utilized and operationalized in decision-making. Patients are currently being enrolled into Protocol 2.

NSCLC is the most common type of lung cancer according to the American Cancer Society, accounting for about 84% of lung cancer cases. MYLUNG is poised to support meaningful progress and innovation in care delivery and potentially touch and improve thousands of lives.

About Virginia Cancer Specialists

Virginia Cancer Specialists (VCS) has built a practice with a world-class treatment team fighting cancer and diseases of the blood, offering access to the most current treatment protocols, clinical trials, and comprehensive care all available in a community-based setting. With nine locations throughout Northern Virginia, staffed by more than 30 highly-skilled physicians, VCS delivers specialized, exceptional care. Virginia Cancer Specialists offers medical oncology, radiation oncology, musculoskeletal tumor surgery, breast surgery, thoracic surgery, genetic counseling, palliative care, oncology nurse navigators, oncology infusion nurses, oncology pharmacists, social workers and laboratory technicians. Our multidisciplinary team works together to design the optimal treatment program, efficiently sharing knowledge, and providing a patient-centered, consumer-friendly approach to cancer care. Patients receive a 360-degree full spectrum of high-quality care from a care team united in their effort to provide each patient with the personalized care they need to battle cancer.

Virginia Cancer Specialists has a well-established, fully staffed, comprehensive clinical research program with a dedicated research facility for Phase I clinical trials – the largest of its kind in the Northern Virginia area. Virginia Cancer Specialists is a practice in The US Oncology Network (The Network). This collaboration unites the practice with more than 1,200 independent physicians dedicated to delivering value-based, integrated care to patients — close to home. Through the Network, these independent doctors come together to form a community of shared expertise and resources dedicated to advancing local cancer care and to delivering better patient outcomes. The Network is supported by McKesson Corporation, whose coordinated resources and infrastructure allow doctors in The Network to focus on the health of their patients, while McKesson focuses on the health of their practices. VCS also participates in clinical trials through US Oncology Research, which has played a role in more than 85 FDA-approved cancer therapies, approximately one-third of all cancer therapies approved by the FDA to date.