Lung cancer care is entering a more precise and increasingly proactive era. While the disease remains a leading cause of cancer mortality, earlier detection through low-dose CT screening, broader use of molecular profiling and rapid advances in targeted therapy and immunotherapy are changing how patients are diagnosed, staged and treated.

For physicians, the message is clear: lung cancer outcomes increasingly depend on what happens early. Identifying screening-eligible patients, expediting evaluation of suspicious findings and ensuring comprehensive biomarker testing at diagnosis can directly affect treatment options and long-term outcomes. These priorities are especially important as targeted therapies move into earlier stages of disease and multidisciplinary care pathways become central to timely, individualized treatment planning.

Ahead of World Lung Cancer Day on August 1, Baptist Health Cancer Care specialists reviewed recent advances in lung cancer care, including notable ASCO 2026 data, opportunities to improve screening participation and the growing role of precision medicine at Baptist Health Herbert Wertheim Cancer Institute and Eugene M. & Christine E. Lynn Cancer Institute.

Key ASCO 2026 Takeaways: Targeted Therapy, ADCs and Immuno-Oncology

Several studies presented at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting highlighted how targeted therapies, antibody-drug conjugates and novel immunotherapy approaches continue to improve outcomes for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to Manmeet Ahluwalia, M.D.,  chief of medical oncology, chief scientific officer and deputy director of Wertheim Cancer Institute and Fernandez Family Endowed Chair in Cancer Research.

Among the most anticipated presentations was the Phase 3 HARMONi-6 trial, which demonstrated an overall survival benefit with ivonescimab in patients with advanced squamous NSCLC. By combining immune activation and anti-angiogenic activity within a single therapy, ivonescimab represents a promising new treatment strategy for patients with advanced disease and underscores ongoing innovation in immuno-oncology.

Another major update came from the Phase 3 LIBRETTO-432 trial, which evaluated selpercatinib in patients with stage IB-IIIA RET fusion-positive NSCLC following definitive local treatment. The study showed a significant reduction in the risk of disease recurrence or death, reinforcing a growing trend in thoracic oncology: moving highly effective targeted therapies into earlier-stage disease, where the goal remains cure rather than disease control.

Additional advances were reported in the Phase 3 OptiTROP-Lung05 trial, which evaluated sacituzumab tirumotecan (sac-TMT), a TROP2-directed antibody-drug conjugate, in combination with pembrolizumab for patients with PD-L1-positive advanced NSCLC. The combination significantly improved progression-free survival compared with pembrolizumab alone, highlighting the potential for antibody-drug conjugates to play an increasingly important role in frontline treatment by combining targeted drug delivery with immunotherapy.

Why Biomarker Testing is Moving Earlier

“These findings continue to reinforce the value of comprehensive biomarker testing,” says Bruna Pellini, M.D., chief of thoracic medical oncology with Wertheim Cancer Institute. “As more targeted therapies move into earlier stages of disease, identifying actionable alterations at diagnosis becomes increasingly important to ensure patients have access to the most effective treatment options.”

Lung Cancer Screening Remains a Missed Opportunity

Early detection remains one of the most effective tools in improving lung cancer outcomes. Low-dose CT (LDCT) screening has been shown to identify lung cancer at earlier, more treatable stages, often before symptoms develop. Studies have demonstrated that patients diagnosed through screening are more likely to have stage I disease, when treatment options such as surgery or stereotactic radiation can be potentially curative and survival rates are significantly higher.

Despite its proven benefits, lung cancer screening remains underutilized. Increasing awareness among primary care and referring physicians is essential to ensuring eligible patients are identified and connected with screening programs.

Baptist Health Cancer Care is committed to expanding access to lung cancer screening and streamlining the pathway from screening to diagnosis and treatment. Through coordinated follow-up and timely evaluation of suspicious findings, it works to ensure patients receive the care they need as quickly as possible.

Improving Screening Uptake and Follow-Up

Research led by Dr. Ahluwalia demonstrates how health-system level interventions can meaningfully improve screening uptake among high-risk populations. Between 2019 and 2023, more than 11,000 individuals underwent low-dose CT screening at Baptist Health, highlighting the impact of coordinated outreach initiatives in connecting high-risk patients with potentially lifesaving early detection services.

The impact of these screenings extends far beyond statistics. Every scan represents an opportunity to detect cancer early, intervene sooner, and improve outcomes for patients who may otherwise have gone undiagnosed until later stages of disease.

Precision Medicine: A New Horizon in Lung Cancer Care

Molecular profiling is no longer reserved for advanced-stage disease. As precision therapies expand across the lung cancer continuum, comprehensive biomarker testing at diagnosis has become an essential component of modern lung cancer care, helping clinicians identify actionable alterations and match patients with the most effective therapies at every stage of treatment.

“We are no longer treating all lung cancers the same way,” says Ian Bostock, M.D., thoracic surgical oncologist with Wertheim Cancer Institute. “Today, biomarker testing allows us to identify the unique characteristics driving a patient's cancer and tailor treatment accordingly. This shift toward precision medicine is helping us deliver more personalized care and giving patients access to therapies that would not have been possible just a few years ago.”

Edgar Alberto Castillo D’Andreis, M.D., medical oncologist with Eugene M. & Christine E. Lynn Cancer Institute, echoes Dr. Bostock’s comments.

“The future of lung cancer care is increasingly personalized,” says Dr. Castillo. “By combining molecular profiling, targeted therapies and immunotherapy, we can develop treatment plans that are tailored to each patient's cancer. These advances are opening new doors for patients and transforming what is possible in lung cancer treatment.”

Better Together: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Lung Cancer Care

Lung cancer care is most effective when specialists work together to develop a comprehensive treatment plan. At both Wertheim Cancer Institute and Lynn Cancer Institute, patients benefit from a multidisciplinary team that includes pulmonologists, radiologists, thoracic surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, pathologists, nurse navigators, and other cancer specialists.

In Conclusion

For physicians, the next step is ensuring that eligible patients are screened, suspicious findings are evaluated promptly and newly diagnosed patients are connected with a multidisciplinary lung cancer team early in the course of care. To learn more about lung cancer screening eligibility and referral pathways at Baptist Health Cancer Care, click here.