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Biomarker testing helps connect patients with the right treatment at the right time. ACS CAN and partners are working together to make sure more Massachusetts residents can benefit from this important testing.
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.
Policy action needed to ensure more Massachusetts residents benefit.
- Not all communities are benefiting from the latest advancements in biomarker testing and precision medicine.
- Communities that have been excluded, including communities of color, individuals with lower socioeconomic status, rural communities, and those receiving care in non-academic medical centers are less likely to receive biomarker testing.
- Improving coverage for and access to biomarker testing across insurance types is key to reducing health disparities.
- Without action to expand coverage and access to biomarker testing, advances in precision medicine could increase existing disparities in cancer outcomes by race, ethnicity, income, and geography.
- Insurance coverage for biomarker testing is failing to keep pace with innovations and advancements in treatment.
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Resources:
Sign Our Petition- Expand Access to Biomarker Testing in Massachusetts
Help ensure MA cancer patients have access to the right treatment at the right time. We must dismantle barriers that prevent patients from benefiting from biomarker testing and precision medicine, and work to ensure all patients benefit, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or zip code.