Biomarker testing helps connect patients with the right treatment at the right time- and ACS CAN is committed to making sure every Massachusetts patient can benefit from this transformational tool.
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Across the country, more than 20 states have passed bipartisan legislation to enhance access to biomarker testing. Massachusetts should pass H.4339 and S.809 to guarantee coverage of evidence-based biomarker testing, so that every patient has a fair shot at the most effective, personalized care.
What is Biomarker Testing?
- In cancer care, biomarkers are often used to help determine the best treatment for a patient.
- A “biomarker” is a sign of a normal biological process, disease or abnormal function that can be measured in blood, tissue or bodily fluid.
- Biomarker testing is the analysis of a patient’s tissue, blood or other biospecimen for the presence of a biomarker.
- This testing is revolutionizing treatment for cancer and other diseases, creating more effective and precise treatment strategies faster. These markers help:
- Identify targeted therapies or immunotherapies most likely to be effective
- Avoid “trial and error” prescribing of treatments that are unlikely to work
- Connect patients with appropriate clinical trials
- Inform prognosis and monitoring over time
- Steer patients away from treatments that might have harmful effects because of their individual biology
What are H. 4339 and S. 809, and why should Massachusetts pass them?
- H. 4339 and S. 809 would require MassHealth and state-regulated health insurance plans to cover biomarker testing when it is supported by strong clinical evidence and guidelines.
- As a global leader in life sciences and cancer research, Massachusetts has an opportunity to improve patient outcomes, advance health equity, and ensure that residents of the Commonwealth have access to the most effective, personalized medical care available.
This is how we make sure precision medicine is not reserved for a few, but becomes the standard of care for everyone.
Real World Data
- A 2023 U.S. study of patients with advanced or metastatic non–small cell lung cancer found that patients who never received biomarker testing had a 30% higher risk of death (hazard ratio [HR] 1.30).
- Real-world data also show a median survival of nearly 15 months for patients who received biomarker testing compared to 9 months for those who did not — a 66% increase in median survival.
Tell your legislators: pass H. 4339 and S. 809 today! Help ensure MA cancer patients have access to the right treatment at the right time with evidence-based biomarker testing.
