Every cancer is unique and advances in research provide the
opportunity to better understand your cancer and personalize
your treatment. Biomarker testing is one type of test that can
guide treatment decisions, but it’s important to ask your
healthcare team about biomarker testing BEFORE you begin
treatment.
A biomarker is a measurable trait that can give your
healthcare team a better understanding of your
health. Some biomarkers are simple measurements,
such as your heart rate or blood pressure. Other
biomarkers are measured through lab tests of your
blood, tissues and/or bodily fluids.
Cancer biomarkers are proteins, genes or other substances that are tested to better understand your cancer and provide more information that can help guide treatment decisions, including clinical trials. Biomarker testing may help determine your cancer subtype and/or whether certain treatments are more likely to work for your specific cancer. Biomarker testing can help predict the behavior of a cancer, the treatment response and chance of recovery. It can also be used to check the progress of treatment over time and whether the cancer is more likely to spread and/or if you’re at higher risk for certain cancer types. Biomarker testing is also known as comprehensive biomarker testing, molecular testing, tumor profiling, somatic testing, genomic testing and companion diagnostic testing.
There are different cancer biomarkers for various types of cancer; although researchers have not yet identified
biomarkers for every cancer. There are 7 biomarker categories and test results can provide information about
the following:1
The National Cancer Institute has identified common cancer biomarkers here.
Although biomarker testing is the standard of care for
some cancer types, your doctor may not bring it up prior
to treatment. Below you will find a few recommended
questions to ask your healthcare team.
For additional resources about biomarker
testing, please visit Health Match.
Every cancer is unique and advances in research provide the opportunity to better understand your cancer and personalize your treatment. Biomarker testing is one type of test that can guide treatment decisions, but it’s important to ask your healthcare team about biomarker testing BEFORE you begin treatment.
A biomarker is a measurable trait that can give your healthcare team a better understanding of your health. Some biomarkers are simple measurements, such as your heart rate or blood pressure. Other biomarkers are measured through lab tests of your blood, tissues and/or bodily fluids. Cancer biomarkers are proteins, genes or other substances that are tested to better understand your cancer and provide more information that can help guide treatment decisions, including clinical trials. Biomarker testing may help determine your cancer subtype and/or whether certain treatments are more likely to work for your specific cancer. Biomarker testing can help predict the behavior of a cancer, the treatment response and chance of recovery. It can also be used to check the progress of treatment over time and whether the cancer is more likely to spread and/or if you’re at higher risk for certain cancer types. Biomarker testing is also known as comprehensive biomarker testing, molecular testing, tumor profiling, somatic testing, genomic testing and companion diagnostic testing.
There are different cancer biomarkers for various types of cancer; although researchers have not yet identified biomarkers for every cancer. There are 7 biomarker categories and test results can provide information about the following:1
The National Cancer Institute has identified common cancer biomarkers here.
Although biomarker testing is the standard of care for some cancer types, your doctor may not bring it up prior to treatment. Below you will find a few recommended questions to ask your healthcare team.
For additional resources about biomarker
testing, please visit Health Match.
