Pathology Brings New Lung Cancer Treatment to BWH

Janina Longtine, MD, chief, Molecular Diagnostics, and colleague Neal Lindeman, MD, of the Department of Pathology, have played a key role in bringing to BWH and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute a diagnostic test that predicts lung cancer patients’ responsiveness to specialized treatment. The test, which analyzes mutations of the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) gene, takes advantage of research showing that the 10 percent of lung cancer patients who respond to the drug Iressa (gefitinib) have a specific molecular marker.