Improving Guideline-Based Molecular Profiling for Lung Cancer Patients in Illinois

Background

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the United States, accounting for 221,200 new cases and 158,040 deaths annually (more than colon, breast, prostate, and brain cancers combined). Recent advances in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) have led to substantial changes in treatment paradigms, with the use of targeted therapies and the associated molecular testing recommended in widely accepted national best practice guidelines. Despite these widely recognized recommendations, many lung cancer patients do not undergo molecular profiling to determine eligibility for targeted therapy prior to initiation of treatment. Furthermore, it is well known that wide variation in adherence to guideline-based care exists between institutions and individual providers.

Given the demonstrated need for improvement in adherence to best-practice guidelines for molecular profiling and targeted therapy use in NSCLC, the ILCC is initiating a multi-institutional large-scale cancer QI project with hospitals in Illinois focused on this topic.

Project Aims

The ILCC’s Improving Guideline-Based Molecular Profiling for Lung Cancer Patients in Illinois is a partnership of Illinois hospitals, ​ AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LLP, and Northwestern University​.

The aim of this project is to improve patient outcomes by ensuring that Stage IB-IIIA resectable NSCLC patients and 1L Stage IV NSCLC patients undergo molecular profiling, and the results are available to oncologists and patients prior to the selection and initiation of treatment.

In addition, we aim to support CoC-accredited hospitals in fulfilling CoC standards for accreditation through participation in collaborative-wide cancer quality improvement (QI) projects. The ILCC Coordinating Center will provide novel strategies and resources to support effective cancer care locally, including guided implementation and mentoring through QI projects, Illinois-specific comparative data augmenting the NCDB, cancer-specific QI resources and education, and statewide sharing of best practices

Qualitative Focus

(1) To understand the barriers to NGS testing in NSCLC patients among ILCC hospitals​

(2) To understand solutions/interventions ILCC sites have developed to facilitate NGS testing​

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quantitative Focus

(3) To use hospital specific data to determine potential “areas of improvement” for ILCC hospitals​

Project Resources

Meetings & Webinars
  • View our Interim Report for NGS Testing of NSCLC Webinar 1.23.25
  • View our Toolkit Implementation Webinar 1.17.25
  • ILCC Site Check-in Following Pilot Data Abstraction Webinar 9.23.24
  • ILCC Improving Guideline-Based Molecular Profiling for Lung Cancer Patients in Illinois: Review of Data Collection and Abstraction Meeting 4.15.24
  • View our Improving Guideline-Based Molecular Profiling for Lung Cancer Patients in Illinois Kick Off Meeting 3.19.24
  • View ILCC Informmation Session Webinar 12.14.23

Project Timeline