You may have seen some information about biomarker testing when researching on the internet, but what is it?
Cancer biomarkers are proteins, hormones, genes or other substances that can be tested to reveal important details about a person’s cancer. There are many known cancer biomarkers, and new ones are being discovered all the time. Biomarker testing is not right for all cancers, but your care team will discuss your options with you.
For many people with cancer, biomarker testing can provide useful information to their care team that could affect treatment plans. Biomarker testing can help providers understand:
- If the cancer is likely to grow or spread
- If certain treatments could be helpful or less likely to be helpful
- If cancer treatment is working
- If a person may be at a higher risk for some types of cancer
- If there are possible signs of cancer returning
If you and your care team decide biomarker testing is right for you, they will need to get samples of your cancer cells for testing. Biomarker testing can be done in several ways:
- If you have a solid tumor, your care team will most likely use the samples taken during a biopsy of the tumor or during surgery. If it is difficult to get a sample for testing, sometimes a blood sample can be used, which is called a liquid biopsy.
- If you have a blood cancer, like leukemia, a blood or bone marrow sample might be tested.
- For some cancers, other bodily fluids, like urine, might be tested.
These samples will be sent to a lab and once the testing is done, the lab will send back a report that lists the biomarkers in your cancer cells, as well as what this might mean about treatments that could help you. Your care team will discuss the results with you to help you understand your treatment options.
For more information about biomarker testing, talk to your healthcare provider.