Four in five cancer patients needing molecular tests

Millions of cancer patients worldwide risk having their disease insufficiently characterised or receiving treatment without crucial molecular information because most patients who need molecular testing do not receive it, a new Lancet Oncology Commission has found. The Commission estimates that between seven and eight million cancer patients require standard-of-care molecular testing every year to help guide diagnosis and treatment, but about four in five of those who need biomarker testing do not receive it. The findings raise concerns about the ability of health systems to accurately characterise cancers and match patients to treatments that could work for the molecular features of their disease. The report, Accelerating Equitable Cancer Genomics and Precision Oncology in Health Care and Research, was unveiled on September 25 at the World Cancer Congress in Hong Kong. The Lancet Oncology Commission brought together more than 50 commissioners from 21 countries and 48 partners across multiple disciplines.