Strategies for Improving ERBB2 (HER2) Testing in NSCLC Within Community Settings

The pace at which targetable tumor-specific molecular alterations have been identified over the past decade have ushered in an era of precision oncology, yielding significant insights into the diversity of cancer, offering diagnostic and prognostic benefits, and guiding therapy selection. Indeed, guidelines emphasize that comprehensive biomarker testing should be conducted to identify actionable mutations in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), including ALK, EGFR, KRAS, MET, RET, and ERBB2 (HER2). These tests guide the selection of targeted therapies that can inhibit oncogenic pathways directly implicated in tumor growth and progression. However, comprehensive molecular testing continues to be underused, especially in community hospital settings. Underlying reasons are many and varied, and include lack of clinical knowledge, lack of multidisciplinary support in the interpretation of test results, shortcomings in tissue samples, lack of access to tests, reimbursement challenges, and turnaround times.
 
Quality improvement (QI) programs are well suited to facilitate adoption of system-level solutions to improve guideline recommended testing of patients with NSCLC, including in patients with HER2 (ERBB2) mutations; To improve guideline recommended testing of patients with NSCLC, including in patients with HER2 (ERBB2) mutations, implementation-focused educational programs facilitating system- and process-related changes along with formalized training cascades are key to mitigating barriers. This interactive practice guide offers interventions for both team training and infrastructure building in a cost effective and high impact way. Learners can identify solutions most relevant to their scope of practice and areas of need.
 
Don’t delay! Start improving your NSCLC biomarker testing to optimize treatment processes and practices now!
 
Educational Partner: Academy for Continued Healthcare Learning (ACHL)

Medium: Interactive Practice Guide

Commercial Support: Supported by an educational grant from Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Target Audience

This activity is intended for multidisciplinary providers treating patients with NSCLC in the community cancer setting including thoracic oncologists, thoracic surgeons, medical oncologists, molecular pathologists, pulmonologists, oncology pharmacists, clinical pharmacists, patient navigators, tissue navigators, and other members of the multidisciplinary team.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, learners will be able to:

  • Assess current NSCLC biomarker testing practices to confirm compliance with the latest guideline recommendations for a broad multi-panel approach
  • Develop strategies to mitigate challenges and barriers to standardizing ERBB2 (HER2) testing in all patients with advanced NSCLC
  • Establish multidisciplinary frameworks to interpret biomarker test findings prior to initiating first-line treatment and reassess again when initiating second-line treatment
Additional information
ACGME/ABMS Core Competencies: 
Patient Care and Procedural Skills
Medical Knowledge
Interpersonal and Communication Skills
For more information, please contact:
CME Coordinator Contact Name: 
Nora Eldasher
CME Coordinator Contact Email: 
[email protected]
Summary
Activity opens: 
04/01/2026
Activity expires: 
04/01/2027
FACULTY
Christine Bestvina, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Section of Hematology/Oncology
University of Chicago Medicine

Melissa Tjota, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Pathology
University of Chicago Medicine
 
Disclosure Declarations
As a provider accredited by the ACCME, The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine asks everyone in a position to control the content of an education activity to disclose all financial relationships with any ineligible companies. This includes any entity whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients. Financial relationships are relevant if a financial relationship, in any amount, exists between the person in control of content and an ineligible company during the past 24 months, and the content of the education is related to the products of an ineligible company with whom the person has a financial relationship. Mechanisms are in place to identify and mitigate any relevant financial relationships prior to the start of the activity.

Additionally, The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine requires Authors to identify investigational products or off-label uses of products regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration at first mention and where appropriate in the content.
Physician Credit
The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
 
The University Of Chicago Pritzker School Of Medicine designates this enduring material for a maximum of 2.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
 
Physician assistants (PAs), nurse practitioners (NPs), and nurses may participate in this educational activity and earn a certificate of completion as AAPA, AANP, and ANCC accept AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ through their reciprocity agreements.


Completion of this activity, including the pretest, posttest, and follow-up assessments, qualifies as a medium weight MIPS improvement activity under MACRA and can be claimed as completion of IA_PSPA 28 of an Accredited Safety or Quality Improvement Program in the Quality Payment Program. Clinicians should submit their improvement activities by attestation via the CMS Quality Payment Program website. You will receive additional information after completing the activity and receiving your certificate via email.
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