Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40778415›Full record

ArticleFuture oncology (London, England)2025

Access to treatment-guiding biomarkers in the UK: surveys of cancer patients and healthcare professionals.

Dany Bell, Rachel Bryce, Rosalia Delfino, Nadia Godin-Heymann, Jessica Horne, Louise Jäger, Michael Jones, Niklas Magnell, Vishali Sharma, David Shera and 3 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Future oncology (London, England), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Dany BellCentre of Clinical Expertise, Macmillan Cancer Support, London, UK.
Rachel BryceCentre of Clinical Expertise, Macmillan Cancer Support, London, UK.
Rosalia DelfinoCentre of Clinical Expertise, Macmillan Cancer Support, London, UK.
Nadia Godin-HeymannPrecision Medicine and Biosamples, AstraZeneca R&D, Cambridge, UK.
Jessica HorneAstraZeneca Health Works, AstraZeneca Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Louise JägerAstraZeneca Health Works, AstraZeneca Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Michael JonesCentre of Clinical Expertise, Macmillan Cancer Support, London, UK.
Niklas MagnellAstraZeneca Health Works, AstraZeneca Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Vishali SharmaPrecision Medicine and Biosamples, AstraZeneca R&D, Cambridge, UK.
David SheraOncology Biometrics, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP, Wilmington, USA.
Marianne J RatcliffePrecision Medicine and Biosamples, AstraZeneca R&D, Cambridge, UK.
Kathy WallsUK Policy, AstraZeneca UK Marketing Company, London, UK.
Rosie MughalUK Policy, AstraZeneca UK Marketing Company, London, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimsTo understand current barriers to treatment-guiding biomarker testing in cancer patients in the UK.

methodsA literature search, interviews with healthcare professionals, and a focus group of cancer patients were used to identify current challenges and barriers to treatment guiding biomarker testing. These were followed by online surveys of healthcare professionals and patients designed to further explore and quantify challenges to biomarker testing within the UK.

resultsChallenges were identified across the entire biomarker testing pathway, the most common being insufficient workforce, long turnaround times, and lack of specific training. These challenges had a negative impact on patient access to targeted cancer therapies.

conclusionsChallenges to accessing treatment-guiding biomarker testing of cancer patients within the UK are impacting clinical decision-making. There is a requirement to improve awareness and training of healthcare professionals, particularly nurses and advanced clinical practitioners, with opportunities to improve outdated and fragmented ordering and reporting processes. Steps should also be taken to improve the availability of plain-language information materials for patients, to promote understanding and self-advocacy.

Indexed as

Biomarkers, TumorHealth PersonnelHealth Services AccessibilityNeoplasmsClinical Decision-MakingFocus GroupsHumansSurveys and QuestionnairesUnited KingdomBiomarkers, Tumorcancercompanion diagnosticshealthcare professionalspatient surveyPrecision medicinetreatment-guiding biomarkers

Identifiers

PMID40778415
PMCPMC12344809

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.