The challenges of evaluating predictive biomarkers using small biopsy tissue samples and liquid biopsies from non-small cell lung cancer patients.

The list of theranostic biomarkers for the care of patients with advanced stage or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer has lengthened considerably these last few years. Moreover, the advances in therapeutics will certainly increase the number and complexity of these tests performed in laboratories in the near future. In addition, the methods for investigation of biomarkers that require access to biological tissue are less and less invasive with the consequential increase in the use of small-sized tissue biopsies and cytological and blood samples. Thus, each laboratory must master the management of the biological samples according to the number and type of tests to be performed. This review will provide an update of the difference challenges facing pathologists and biologist in responding to the issues related to new treatments. These challenges concern: (I) the management of the pre-analytical phase; (II) the appropriate choice of the technological approach; (III) the performance of quality control; (IV) the mastering of the delay in obtaining the results; and (V) the economic model of the laboratory.