303 Background: Biomarker advancements are reshaping cancer care in the United States and globally, yet disparities and barriers to biomarker testing remain. Challenges, such as limited awareness, gaps in patient education, restricted access, financial concerns, and poor care coordination, make testing inaccessible for many in underserved medical communities. Methods: To address these challenges, the Test Your Biomarkers program, launched in February 2024, offers online educational resources, patient videos, and information regarding how biomarker testing provides the key to unlock personalized care. The program has reached over 2.1 million people and has generated more than 6.5 million impressions. Recognizing that not all patients routinely seek information online or have access to reliable internet, patient focus groups were organized in partnership with local clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC), Veterans Administration (VA) medical centers and community organizations, targeting those diagnosed with gastric cancer in medically underserved communities. Focus groups with 310 patients revealed significant barriers: limited access to testing facilities, financial worries, misconceptions about biomarker testing, and lack of clear information from providers. These patient insights are refining our future outreach and program strategies. Results: Our patient-reported outcomes (PRO) study exposed notable patient support gaps; only 9% of patients said their clinician discussed biomarker testing, while 22% initiated the conversation themselves. Strikingly, 69% reported that biomarker testing was never discussed, underscoring major communication and shared decision-making barriers. In response to these findings, we hosted educational workshops for underserved communities, resulting in a 65% increase in biomarker testing inquiries to our certified patient navigator staff. After engaging in our educational workshops, 92% of patients voiced concern that without biomarker testing, they might not be receiving the most effective treatment and planned to talk to their healthcare provider. Conclusions: Our PRO research highlights substantial deficits in biomarker education and awareness among gastric cancer patients, especially those in medically underserved populations. The Test Your Biomarkers program’s impact demonstrates the value of targeted outreach and education. Importantly, similar barriers were found in other gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, prompting an expansion of the Test Your Biomarkers program to incorporate all GI cancers.
Raymond et al. (Sat,) studied this question.
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