Biomarker testing communication, familiarity, and informational needs among people living with breast, colorectal, and lung cancer

Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to characterize patient experiences with biomarker testing, including history of biomarker testing, related communication and education, self-perceived familiarity and informational needs.

Methods: 436 U.S. adults diagnosed with lung (38%), colorectal (35%) or breast cancer (27%) from 2018 to 2022 completed a survey. Two logistic regressions were conducted to predict patients' familiarity with biomarker testing and informational needs.

Results: Despite high biomarker testing rates (85%), half of respondents reported low familiarity with biomarker testing and three-quarters reported outstanding informational needs. Regression models indicate those patients who have greater health literacy and report having conversations with their oncologists about biomarker testing have more familiarity with biomarker testing and less informational needs, even after controlling for important sociodemographic factors.

Conclusions: There is an opportunity to improve patients' familiarity with biomarker testing and decrease outstanding informational needs by focusing on factors such as health literacy and patient-provider communication, which could further cultivate patients' understanding of the importance of biomarker testing in cancer care.

Practice implications: These findings underscore the importance of patient-provider relationships and the need for additional tools that assist providers in assessing patients' health literacy and facilitating conversations with patients, especially those focused on complex topics such as biomarker testing.

Keywords: Biomarkers; Cancer; Communication; Health literacy; Patient education.