Medicare Benefits Schedule - Item 73439

A nucleic acid-based multi-gene panel test of tumour tissue from a patient with a new diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer and with documented absence of activating variants of the EGFR gene, KRAS, BRAF and MET exon14, requested by, or on behalf of, a specialist or consultant physician, if the test is:

(a)   to determine the fusion status of at least ALK, ROS1, RET, NTRK1, NTRK2, and NTRK3 to determine access to specific therapies relevant to these variants listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) are fulfilled; or

(b)   to determine if the requirements relating to ALK and ROS1 status for access to immunotherapies listed on the PBS are fulfilled; and

(c)   not associated with a service to which item 73437, 73341, 73344 or 73351 applies

Fee: $682.35 Benefit: 75% = $511.80 85% = $583.65

(See para PN.7.15 of explanatory notes to this Category)

• Previous - Item 73438
• Next - Item 73440

Prior to requesting or performing these tests, the requesting practitioner or pathologist should consider if the patient has already received equivalent testing under the same or another methodology in the same new diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Repeat testing by multiple methods in the same new diagnosis of NSCLC should only be performed if it is clinically relevant.

Items 73337, 73341, 73344 and 73436 support sequential single-gene testing for biomarkers in patients with NSCLC.

Item 73437 supports use of one next generation sequencing (NGS) panel for testing of all biomarkers supported under items 73337, 73341, 73344 and 73436.

Items 73438 and 73439 support sequential use of two NGS panels for testing of all biomarkers supported under 73337 and 73436, and 73341 and 73344 respectively.

Related Items: 73337 73341 73344 73436 73437 73438 73439