Oncology has a key, the biomarker, that can unlock better patient care by assisting the healthcare team in diagnosing, monitoring, and treating diseases. Personalized medicine incorporates the use of genomic information or biomarkers to guide medical decision-making throughout the care continuum. History about biomarkers shows that the initial skepticism (questioning the task of developing drugs for subpopulations based on identifiable biomarkers) rapidly evolved into a healthcare revolution as team members adopted personalized medicine to support clinical decision-making.1 Oncology patient navigation was key in clinical utility by bridging this technology to patient awareness, access, and education.
First, the navigators developed a working knowledge of evidence-based information. From a professional standpoint, the Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators (AONN+) created a Precision Medicine Toolkit for all navigators to build a working knowledge of precision medicine and enrich their knowledge base on how it may specifically impact the patient population they serve. The Journal of Oncology Navigation & Survivorship supported precision medicine through publication of faculty perspectives in a 4-part series in which experts shared challenges and best practices to increase testing among all patients and improve communication among the cancer care team.
Next, navigators applied their knowledge base to increase patient awareness and understanding so they would have relevant information to plan for individual care. Also, when patients do not evaluate for biomarker therapy utilization, treatment that would possibly create toxicities and expense without disease response is prevented.
The concept of a precision medicine steward or a dedicated navigator who focuses specifically on biomarker testing processes evolved out of this field. An education initiative from the Association of Community Cancer Centers in partnership with AONN+ and the American Society for Clinical Pathology supported precision medicine stewards by showcasing oncology practices that have successfully integrated these stewards into their respective programs. The initiative shared expert insights into the importance of this role. And through this role, health equities were mitigated, turnaround time from test ordering to receipt of results decreased, and testing-related processes were improved.2,3
In the future, all team members will continue to build the infrastructure for biomarkers as new discoveries are made, testing becomes built into standard practice, and the overall costs of healthcare are reduced. Oncology patient navigators will continue to act as a bridge between the healthcare system and patients, ensuring they receive the right care at the right time.
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