But, it’s one that oncologists at academic centers don’t have to encounter very often, as they usually find a way to cover the cost of testing.
"When it comes to genetic testing, we have both under- and over-utilization," said Dr. Fleury. "We need that happy medium."
Things will start evening out with the right infrastructure, Dr. Fleury said. He sees things falling into place with organizations like ASCO and ACS CAN developing guidelines and standards, and the FDA about to step up its oversight of genomic assays that are developed in-house by hospital and commercial labs.
Also, as the market evolves towards panels of tests, instead of just single mutations, the process will likely become more efficient, Dr. Fleury added.
Currently, for instance, there are only two targeted therapies and two companion diagnostics for lung cancer but a dozen known mutations. In the future, as more therapies are developed to go after those mutations, it won’t be cost-effective or efficient to conduct a dozen different tests with a dozen different charges and copays, said Dr. Fleury.
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