Improvements in oncology care are being driven by the growing availability and use of biomarker testing. Such tests influence health outcomes by informing care teams whether a specific targeted therapy is likely to be effective for a specific patient. However, in routine care, levels of biomarker testing differ greatly across tumor types and by biomarker, with varying adherence to testing guidelines. This report discusses the major barriers that limit testing for solid tumor biomarkers in the United States and how they are evolving within a changing healthcare landscape. It further offers solutions to help reduce these testing barriers in oncology and ensure treatment benefits are fully realized.
An increased understanding of genetic and other molecular alterations in solid tumors — along with the development of targeted biomarker-based treatments for cancers with such alterations — have led to major improvements in patient care, overall survival, and quality of life outcomes. As such, biomarker testing has emerged as an important part of cancer care. However, there are several barriers to oncology biomarker testing for solid tumors including suboptimal tissue procurement and triaging; challenges with continuity of care across institutions; fragmented insurance coverage and inadequate reimbursement of testing; fragmented testing guidelines; and low awareness of actionable biomarkers by stakeholders. These result in operational inefficiencies in biomarker testing, limit awareness of available tests, and disincentivize broad and optimal use of testing. Collaboration across multiple stakeholders will be required to bring about a future with better patient outcomes through more robust diagnostic testing in cancer, and this report profiles potential solutions to help reduce testing barriers.