how biomarker testing is transforming lung cancer care
‘biomarkers are key to understanding the nature, prognosis and treatment options for some patients with this disease’
published feb 04, 2026
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2 minute read
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this story is sponsored by
boehringer ingelheim (canada) ltd.
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lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death in canada. each year, more than 32,000 canadians are diagnosed with lung cancer, and approximately 20,700 will die from the disease — more than breast, prostate and colon cancers combined. while smoking remains a major risk factor, 15 to 25 per cent of cases occur in people who have never smoked
despite these sobering numbers, advances in treatment over the past decade are changing what a lung cancer diagnosis can mean, particularly through biomarker testing and precision medicine.
“cells are the building blocks of the body. every organ has billions and billions of cells,” says dr. vishal navani, a calgary-based medical oncologist. “cancer is a disease where those cells grow and divide in a disordered fashion. biomarkers are the errors in a cell’s instructions, making the cell grow in an aggressive fashion.”
understanding those genetic “errors” has become central to modern lung cancer care. biomarker testing, sometimes called tumour or genomic testing, looks for the changes in a tumour’s dna that drive cancer growth. identifying those changes can open the door to targeted therapies designed specifically for that mutation.
“it’s critical to complete biomarker testing as early as possible in the diagnostic pathway,” says dr. navani. “biomarkers are key to understanding the nature, prognosis and treatment options for some patients with this disease.”
testing is usually performed on tissue collected during a biopsy. when an actionable biomarker is identified, it enables doctors to customize treatment to the individual, rather than relying on less precise options.
“if we find an actionable biomarker in a patient’s cancer, it allows us to tailor a treatment based on that unique cancer in that unique individual,” dr. navani explains. “without understanding the biomarker profile and confirming the diagnosis for a patient with lung cancer, we’re in the dark about prognosis and treatment options.”
sponsored by:
boehringer ingelheim (canada) ltd.
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this shift toward precision medicine has had a profound impact, particularly on people diagnosed with advanced disease. nearly 70 per cent of lung cancers are still diagnosed at a late stage. yet new advancements in precision medicine are significantly extending and improving quality of life.
dr. navani uses a garden metaphor to describe the difference between traditional treatments and targeted therapies. “if you think about cancer like a garden that has weeds growing between normal flowers, you just want to kill the weeds and not affect your normal cells,” he says. “biomarkers allow precise therapies that are akin to weed whackers, getting rid of the weeds but sparing the normal flowers.”
dr. navani urges patients to be proactive. “it’s critical that a patient ask whether the biopsy that proves they have lung cancer has been tested for biomarkers to help inform prognosis and treatment option discussion.”
visit revealyourbiomarker.ca for support in talking to your health-care provider about biomarker testing. the more information you have about the genetic makeup of your tumour, the better informed you are to make treatment decisions.
this story was created by healthing content works, healthing.ca’s commercial content division, on behalf of boehringer ingelheim.
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