Fewer Than 13% of Colorectal Cancer Patients Receive Complete Biomarker Testing
News related to:Fight Colorectal Cancer · 2 min read
Springfield, Mo., Nov. 12, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- Analysis from Fight Colorectal Cancer reveals a significant gap in biomarker testing for patients with advanced colorectal cancer, highlighting the need for improved patient outcomes and targeted treatments. According to the latest findings, fewer than 13% of treated advanced colorectal cancer patients aged 18 to 64 receive complete biomarker testing before their first-line therapy is initiated. Among early-onset patients (ages 18 to 49), the rate slightly increases to around 14%.
Nearly 80% of treated patients in this age group start their treatment without any biomarker results on record, and almost 60% have no biomarker test at all. The analysis, conducted using Marmot™, Komodo Health’s® healthcare-native analytics AI platform, examined over 50,700 patients aged 18 to 64 who were newly diagnosed between 2021 and 2026 with advanced colorectal cancer. The data, derived from de-identified real-world insurance claims, provides a comprehensive view of over 330 million patient journeys.
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) treatment guidelines recommend that patients with advanced metastatic colorectal cancer undergo testing for MSI/MMR status, RAS, BRAF, and HER2 tumor biomarkers before their first therapy. Evidence suggests that patient outcomes are substantially better when therapies are targeted based on biomarker test results. However, the analysis shows that testing trends have remained stagnant across the four reportable index years (2021-2024), with only about 20% of patients having any biomarker test on record within six months of diagnosis.
Anjee Davis, CEO of Fight Colorectal Cancer, emphasized the importance of biomarker testing in providing a roadmap to better outcomes.
Mortality rates have continued to increase for colorectal cancer at a rate of 1.1% per year since 2005, according to the American Cancer Society, which estimates that 55,230 people will die of colorectal cancer this year. The ongoing battle against colorectal cancer has become a national imperative, and a majority of patients are walking into that fight ill-prepared, as the analysis indicates.
The analysis, available at FightCRC.org/Biomarkers, provides a detailed look at the current state of biomarker testing in colorectal cancer and highlights the need for increased awareness and action.