Rapid adoption of precision medicine in oncology has set the stage for health systems to reexamine their cancer care priorities to best benefit patients.
“As the delivery of cancer care evolves, health systems have a unique opportunity to expand their genomic testing in oncology,” says Rick Baehner, MD, CMO, Precision Oncology, Madison, Wis.-based Exact Sciences.
By helping to catch cancer earlier and aiding in therapy selection via shared decision-making, molecular diagnostic testing can make a broad impact within health systems’ patient populations. Healthcare provider organizations may find value in collaborating with leaders in genomics to address access to care and outcomes, including improving the patient experience and optimizing clinical workflow pathways. Following is a look at some of the key reasons why.
Addressing cancer at multiple points is essential. Cancer remains the second most common cause of death in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Research from the American Cancer Society—Cancer Facts & Figures 2022—shows prevention and early detection through screening are critical factors in decreasing the number of deaths from cancer. Addressing screening and care across the entire cancer continuum is especially beneficial and is what Exact Sciences’ suite of testing solutions is designed to accomplish.
“We’re really focusing in on that continuum: before, during and after a cancer diagnosis,” Baehner says. “It’s about helping providers and patients more rapidly get results that are actionable and life changing.”
For example, the company’s noninvasive colorectal cancer screening test, Cologuard®, gives patients a noninvasive choice to be appropriately screened. The Oncotype DX® tests use advanced genomic science to analyze the biology of each patient’s tumor to help guide treatment decisions.
Exact Sciences’ acquisition of PreventionGenetics gives providers the solutions they need to identify patients who are at risk of developing disease by determining germline risk of cancer or ones who might already harbor an invasive tumor to catch it earlier and treat it effectively. Exact Sciences is researching multicancer early detection, an innovative blood test that can find cancer at the earliest stages, when it is most treatable.
Health systems can’t do this alone. Strategic partnerships are vital to success when health systems aim to bring optimal cancer care to their communities. In addition to offering multiple testing solutions, Exact Sciences can support health systems throughout the process from ordering through resulting.
Exact Sciences also collaborates with health systems on implementing health information technology solutions that find, remind, engage and retain patients across the cancer journey. It understands that providing actionable data about patient populations is critical to making timely treatment decisions. It is also committed to streamlining testing processes that improve patient and financial outcomes and promote effective, evidence-based treatment care pathways.
They can also support health systems as they implement operational components of testing, including health information technology interoperability and integration to improve the ordering and resulting experience. Exact Sciences is committed to health information technology optimization, which can help health systems identify gaps in patient screening, as well as information insights that can be used to create personalized screening protocols.
Its long history of partnerships includes work with academic medical centers such as Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins Medicine and the University of Oxford. “Our collaborations with health systems are about innovation—they’re about making sure we can get more people screened for cancer and, for those with cancer, ensuring they have access to the best assays to aid in therapy selection,” says Everett Cunningham, chief commercial officer, Exact Sciences.
Diagnostic tests can help in the quest for care equity. As health systems work to address disparities in care, cancer screening tools can play an important role. Cunningham points to sobering statistics from the American Cancer Society as calls to action, such as the fact that Black Americans are more likely to develop and die from colorectal cancer and that cancer in general is the lading cause of death among the Latinx population. Exact Sciences has a team focused on health equity, including making sure its products are available to all regardless of socioeconomic status. Cologuard®, Cunningham notes, helps address the specific disparity of transportation insecurity, meeting patients where they’re at. Through collaborations focused on integration and interoperability, Exact Sciences helps provide insights into vulnerable patient populations that can help health systems identify and remove barriers to care.
“If we can help them hit their cancer screening rate goals, we all win: They hit their quality and access performance measures, and we make more people aware of the importance of early detection,” Cunningham says. “It’s a partnership where we’re both in this to get more people screened for cancer—that’s what it’s all about.”
For more information, including how Exact Sciences can support with health information technology optimization that improves patient outcomes, please contact Marissa Alvord, senior manager, Enterprise Collaborations, Exact Sciences, at malvord@exactsciences.com.
Cologuard is a registered trademark of Exact Sciences. Oncotype DX is a registered trademark of Genomic Health, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Exact Sciences Corporation. All other trademarks are the properties of their respective owners. © 2022 Exact Sciences Corporation. All rights reserved.