Molecular biomarker testing is integral to cancer care and precision medicine. One study of 5,954 patients with refractory malignancy showed that 37.6% of these patients had therapeutically actionable genetic alterations, meaning they can be matched to approved targeted drugs, across several different cancer types. Advisory Board research shows there is a large opportunity for health care organizations to use biomarker testing to help get the right patients on the right drugs at the right time.

However, biomarker testing practices and overall adoption varies across hospitals, health systems, and community sites. This variability is often due to insufficient resources dedicated to the biomarker testing process—from staffing, to education, to technology support.

Therefore, oncology program leaders should consider investing in the resources needed to advance their biomarker testing process and prepare to advocate to leadership for additional support when necessary.

What is this resource and how do I use it?

This grid outlines the resources recommended by Advisory Board, based on its proprietary research and analysis, to develop basic, intermediate, and advanced biomarker testing programs. However, the categories listed are not mutually exclusive. A biomarker testing program can have resources listed across all categories (e.g., an “intermediate” program can have several “advanced” resources). The resources listed in each program level are not an exhaustive list but rather offer suggestions for organizations looking to advance their biomarker testing process. The grid can also serve as a way to identify current program processes and guide future investment.

Use this resource grid to understand where your program stands and to lead discussions on what resources to invest in to advance your biomarker testing program.

About the sponsor

AstraZeneca focuses on the discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription medicines in Oncology and BioPharmaceuticals, including Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, and Respiratory & Immunology.

Learn more about AstraZeneca

This resource grid is sponsored by AstraZeneca for educational purposes only. The content, views, and opinions contained within the cheat sheet are copyrighted by Advisory Board and all rights are reserved. Advisory Board experts wrote the content, conducting the underlying research independently and objectively. Advisory Board does not endorse any company, organization, product or brand mentioned herein.

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