The role of biomarkers and molecular profiling in cancer diagnosis and treatment continues to expand. In oncology, a biomarker can indicate cancer type, how a cancer will progress if left untreated, what specific treatment may be most effective for a given cancer, and how well treatment is working over time. For five of the most common types of cancer (lung, prostate, colorectal, breast, and skin), there are more than 75 biomarkers used in clinical practice. The sheer number of treatment options across tumor types and the complexity of delivering care makes it difficult for cancer care providers to integrate new therapeutics, like biomarker testing, into their practices.
Barriers to using biomarker testing are common. Respondents to ACCC’s 2018 Trending Now in Cancer Care Survey indicate that insurance coverage, reimbursement, and insufficient protocols are among the issues working against the widespread implementation of biomarker testing in oncology practices.
To help cancer care providers surmount these and other barriers and enhance their knowledge of this rapidly evolving treatment area, ACCC launched the first phase of BiomarkerLIVE in April 2019. Since then, ACCC has worked with clinical experts and industry leaders to develop a common lexicon of biomarker terminology to promote better communication among cancer care teams; establish a resource library of materials relevant to cancer biomarkers and biomarker testing; and host a how-to webinar that explores how cancer programs can use these tools to implement effective biomarker testing protocols for their patients.
For more information on this project, please contact the ACCC Provider Education department.
