TOPLINE:
Biomarker testing completion rates in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) has increased over time in alignment with guidelines and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approvals, but disparities by race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status persist.
METHODOLOGY:
- Over the past decade, the US FDA has approved several new therapies for metastatic CRC that carry biomarker-based indications. National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines now recommend biomarker testing for RAS, NRAS, BRAF, and microsatellite instability (MSI)/mismatch repair protein (MMR) in patients with metastatic CRC.
- In the current study, the researchers wanted to assess biomarker testing trends in this population over the past decade.
- The study included nearly 26,000 adult patients (median age, 64 years), from approximately 280 cancer clinics in the United States, who were diagnosed with metastatic CRC between January 2013 and April 2023 and received at least one line of treatment. Patient data came from Flatiron Health electronic health records.
- The researchers analyzed completion rates for KRAS, NRAS, BRAF, and MSI/MMR biomarker testing as well as how biomarker testing trends changed over time.
- The researchers also assessed factors associated with performing biomarker testing.