Tests that impact treatment options
How biomarkers help with cancer diagnosis and treatment
The information on this page may help you gain a better understanding of cancer biomarkers. Being prepared may help when making important decisions with your doctor.
What is a cancer biomarker?
A biomarker is a biological molecule (which can be measured) that is found in blood, other body fluids or tissues. It is a sign of a normal or abnormal process or of a condition or disease. In cancer treatment, biomarker testing, or tumor marker testing, is a way to look for genes, proteins and other substances that can provide information about a person’s cancer.
What may be learned from biomarkers?
Doctors often test for cancer biomarkers to help determine:
Diagnosis
What kind of cancer you may have
Treatment
What type of treatment may be right for you
Monitoring
How well a treatment may be working
Why does this matter?
Cancer biomarker testing may be used to create a personalized treatment plan based on your results so that you can receive the treatments that are best for you.
Types of cancer biomarkers
Genes tell your body what to do and how to work. They help make proteins, which play an important role. Cancer biomarkers are usually genes or proteins that may affect cancer cells or other cells in your body. They include:
Genetic Changes
Protein Levels
How you may be tested for cancer biomarkers
There are different ways that cancer biomarkers can be detected and measured. The type of biomarker test you get will depend on what your doctor decides is right for you. Biomarker testing may be done using blood draws, urine tests, or biopsies of the tumor, blood, or tissue sample.
After testing, what happens next?
Your samples (the clues) will be sent to a lab, and the results will come back to your health care team. This process usually takes 1 to 2 weeks, depending on the type of test. Your health care team will then discuss the results with you and help you with next steps.
Example questions to ask your doctor
- Have you done a biomarker test and, if so, what biomarker(s) did you use to diagnose the kind of cancer I have?
- What does this biomarker mean for my treatment?
- What biomarker(s) would let me know how well treatment is going?
- Could I pass a biomarker on to my children that would put them at risk for cancer?
Have you done a biomarker test and, if so, what biomarker(s) did you use to diagnose the kind of cancer I have?
What does this biomarker mean for my treatment?
What biomarker(s) would let me know how well treatment is going?
Could I pass a biomarker on to my children that would put them at risk for cancer?
