Opinion
Video
Streamlining Biomarker-Driven Therapy Decisions to Prevent Delays
Author(s):
An expert discusses how clinicians and institutions can streamline biomarker-driven therapy decisions by establishing rapid turnaround times for biopsies and pathology results, maintaining in-house testing capabilities, coordinating efficiently between interventional radiology and pathology teams, and ensuring insurance approvals don’t delay treatment initiation for patients who may deteriorate quickly.
Video content is prompted by the following:
Preventing treatment delays in biomarker-driven ovarian cancer therapy requires coordinated efforts across multiple specialties and departments. Interventional radiology plays a crucial role when new tissue biopsies are needed, particularly when previous biomarker testing was negative or when patients develop new metastatic sites that may have different molecular characteristics. The entire process from biopsy scheduling to pathology interpretation should be expedited, with pathologists providing rapid confirmation of cancer presence rather than extensive diagnostic workups when the primary diagnosis is already established. This streamlined approach can reduce processing time from weeks to just a few days.
In-house biomarker testing capabilities significantly accelerate treatment initiation compared with external laboratory testing. When pathology departments maintain reagents and validated testing protocols for key biomarkers like HER2 and folate receptor α, turnaround times can be reduced to days rather than the 2 to 4 weeks typically required for external testing. This rapid processing is essential for ovarian cancer patients with metastatic disease who may deteriorate quickly and cannot afford lengthy delays between disease progression and treatment initiation. The goal is to begin new therapy within 2 weeks of documented progression.
Insurance approval processes represent a significant bottleneck in biomarker-driven therapy access, even for FDA-approved treatments. Multiple peer-to-peer reviews may be required despite clear National Comprehensive Cancer Network guideline recommendations or FDA labeling indications. Health care systems must work closely with insurance providers to ensure coverage criteria remain current with rapidly evolving treatment guidelines. Delays in insurance approval can result in patients becoming too ill for treatment or developing complications like bowel obstruction that preclude further therapy. Proactive communication with payers and maintaining updated treatment protocols are essential for preventing these potentially devastating delays in ovarian cancer care.
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