Both practice guidelines and thought leaders increasingly recommend biomarker tests for optimization of cancer care; there is, however, a gap between these recommendations, the way physicians practice, and the way they think they practice.
Exploring how recommended tests are applied in clinical practice is important for bridging the gap between guidelines and clinical practice.
During primary research, when physicians are asked about how often they test for KRAS in colorectal cancer (CRC), they typically respond that half of patients with CRC are tested for KRAS at diagnosis, with the other half tested upon progression. However, IntrinsiQ data show that only 40%of patientswho have had disease progression treated in 2010 have been tested for KRAS at some point in their treatment (Figure). The American Cancer Society estimates that more than 147,000 patients will be diagnosed with CRC in 20101; 19% of themwill be diagnosedwithmetastatic disease2 and thereforemay be eligible for epidermal growth factor receptor– targeted therapies.
The ability to quantify how physicians actually use biomarker tests rather than relying on theory or self-reported data is critical to accurately predicting product usage patterns, designing clinical trials, andmanaging the cost of care.
