What is Biomarker testing
You may have heard of biomarker testing, but what does it mean and how does it impact your treatment options?
Biomarker testing involves testing your tumour or blood for specific genes, proteins or other molecules. These tests help inform your cancer team about which treatments might be most effective.
What are the different types of biomarker testing?
Thanks to advances in treatment there are now several biomarker tests you should be offered after your diagnosis of ovarian cancer. Some tests look for things in your tumour only (somatic testing), and some tests are looking more widely for genetic faults in every cell of your body (germline testing). Somatic testing is important for you and your treatment only, and germline testing can identify faults that can be inherited, and may affect your risk of developing other cancers.
It is possible to find something in your tumour (through somatic testing) that is not present in the healthy cells in the rest of your body. This still informs treatment, but would mean you are not at greater risk of other cancers and the gene change can’t be passed down to your children. This is why both types of testing are used.
What biomarker testing will I have?
High Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer
HRD testing and BRCA testing are the most common types of biomarker testing. If you are diagnosed with stage 3 or 4 high grade serous ovarian cancer (or fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer) you will be offered these tests after diagnosis to help guide the best treatment decisions for you.
HRD testing
HRD Testing looks to see if the cancer cells in your tumour have a weakness called HRD – Homologous recombination deficiency. This weakness means the cancer cells aren’t as good at growing and dividing. PARP inhibitors have been designed to take advantage of this weakness. This is why the eligibility criteria for certain PARP inhibitors specifically state they are only for people whose tumour has been found to be HRD+.
BRCA Testing
If your HRD test is positive, you will be offered BRCA testing to find out if you carry a BRCA 1/2 gene fault. Find out more about BRCA testing after you’ve been diagnosed with ovarian cancer here.
What questions should I ask my doctor about biomarker testing?
Soon after your diagnosis, your oncology team should talk to you about biomarker testing. Some important questions to ask are:
-Has my tumour been tested?
-How could this affect my treatment?
