More young people are being diagnosed with colorectal cancer by the day. Before this news hit the headlines, it was delivered to me by my doctor. It was 2017. I was 23. By the time my cancer was detected, it had spread to my lungs.
Thankfully, I am currently in remission, and my cancer has been kept at bay, in part, because of biomarker testing.
This test analyzes patients’ unique diseases to develop personalized treatment plans. Access to this precision medicine has improved outcomes and the quality of life for cancer patients and is critical to the treatment of many other diseases.
I underwent biomarker testing in 2021, four years after I was diagnosed. Had I received the testing at the outset, I could have avoided additional, unnecessary treatments and complications. When I ultimately received biomarker testing, the results indicated that I would benefit from a targeted therapy, to which I credit my remission.
Unfortunately, not all patients in Delaware can access this testing because insurance has not kept pace with scientific evidence. Our lawmakers in Dover are looking to change that.
On July 1, the state’s House of Representatives passed legislation to improve coverage of necessary biomarker testing for patients insured by state-regulated health plans, including Medicaid.
The bill is now in front of Gov. Matt Meyer, a champion of biomarker-testing access. I am eager to see him act, so more Delawareans, including those who are diagnosed young, can access the testing that I believe helped save my life.
Jennifer Trefzger
Lewes
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
