By Branden Hsu, M.D., Texas Oncology
When patients are first diagnosed with cancer, their focus is understandably on treatment. They're trying to process a life-changing diagnosis while making decisions about surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation, or some combination of these approaches.
But before those conversations move too far forward, there is another important question patients should ask: Has biomarker testing been performed?
As oncologists, we have learned that two patients with the same type of cancer may have tumors that behave very differently. What drives one patient's cancer may be completely different from what drives another's. That information can matter when determining treatment options.
Lung cancer is perhaps the best example of how much cancer care has changed. Molecular testing can identify mutations such as EGFR, ALK, KRAS and others that may help guide treatment decisions. For some patients, those results may open the door to targeted therapies developed specifically for cancers with those molecular features.
These advances have made biomarker testing a critical part of care for many patients with lung cancer. Yet many patients still do not know what testing was performed, what the results mean, or how those findings could affect their treatment plan.
Pancreatic cancer is another area where testing can provide valuable insights. Historically, treatment options have been limited, but genetic and molecular testing help physicians better understand which therapies may be appropriate for certain patients. Germline testing can also identify inherited mutations that may affect not only treatment decisions, but also family members who could benefit from discussing their own cancer risk with a physician.
Biomarker testing can also help identify clinical trial opportunities. Many modern cancer trials are designed around specific molecular characteristics, allowing researchers to evaluate treatments in the patients most likely to benefit from them.
The field continues to move quickly. New biomarkers are being identified, new targeted therapies are becoming available, and our understanding of cancer biology continues to improve. Keeping pace with those developments starts with having the right information about a patient's disease.
That is why I encourage patients to ask about biomarker testing early in the treatment process. Understanding the biology of cancer can help ensure that all available options are considered and that treatment decisions are based on the most complete picture possible.
This article originally appeared in the November 2026 edition of Houston Medical Times.
