National advocacy organizations, including GO2 for Lung Cancer, have been advocating for legislative policies to increase and improve access to biomarker testing. Those efforts are increasing, especially at the state level, as legislatures take up biomarker testing bills.

Educating lawmakers is critical, as patients face enormous challenges around misdiagnoses and delays in diagnoses. People with lung cancer also face challenges around single gene test coverage over guideline-based comprehensive testing, along with disparities in access to testing—and financial considerations. GO2 for Lung Cancer’s advocacy efforts address these concerns and support proposals that take into account that biomarker testing needs to be done multiple times throughout therapy in order to adapt treatment based on specific tumors or changes. We also want laws to be written to adapt to changes in science and to align with the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines to allow for coverage of more tests at the time of progression for cancer patients.

A new partnership for coordinated action.

We strongly support and promote precision medicine to remove barriers, including prior authorizations to access specialty care and comprehensive biomarker testing. To strengthen and coordinate our advocacy efforts,  GO2 for Lung Cancer has partnered with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) and other health advocacy groups to  implement a comprehensive biomarker campaign. The aim of the campaign is to reduce health disparities by working to ensure equitable access to biomarker testing and to improve coverage for and access to testing across insurance types nationwide.

As we move forward, GO2 for Lung Cancer will be working with our partners to build awareness and improve access to both biomarker testing and precision medicine. We’ll also push for greater access to and diversity within clinical trials.

Four events highlight our ongoing efforts

GO2 for Lung Cancer has in recent months participated in a number of educational awareness events with ACS CAN to designed to educate and advocate for legislation regarding comprehensive biomarker testing. These include:

  • Maryland Biomarkers 101 Educational Forum, which explored the impact of biomarker testing and biomarker-driven therapies on cancer treatments and outcomes and examined the barriers patients face in accessing biomarker testing. Among the speakers was GO2 for Lung Cancer Patient Advocate Sydney Barned, MD, who spoke from her perspective as both a patient and a physician.
  • A Florida Legislative Briefing on “The Promise of Precision Medicine in Cancer Care: Improving Patient Access to Targeted Cancer.” Among the featured speakers was Melissa Crouse, a lung cancer survivor and advocate representing GO2 for Lung Cancer.
  • A National Black Caucus of State Legislators briefing on the role of biomarker testing in improving cancer outcomes and addressing health disparities. The speakers include Anne Charity Hudley, MD, a patient advocate and member of GO2 for Lung Cancer’s National Ambassador Council.
  • A Tennessee Life Sciences briefing featuring lung cancer survivor and advocate Leslie LaChance, who discussed her experience with biomarker testing and addressed questions about both cost and equity of access.

We’re anticipating even more activity in the states in 2022—and we want your help in showcasing the people impacted by biomarker policies. If you are a lung cancer patient with a biomarker interested in sharing your story at a local or state-level event, please email Elridge Proctor, Senior Director, Government Affairs at eproctor@go2.org.