{"id":6885,"date":"2023-05-31T15:39:21","date_gmt":"2023-05-31T22:39:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stomachcancerbiomarkers.org\/?page_id=6885"},"modified":"2024-01-26T14:37:32","modified_gmt":"2024-01-26T22:37:32","slug":"what-is-a-biomarker","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/stomachcancerbiomarkers.org\/what-is-a-biomarker\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is A Biomarker?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"6885\" class=\"elementor elementor-6885\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-9538d12 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"9538d12\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;jet_parallax_layout_list&quot;:[]}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-50b4cc6\" data-id=\"50b4cc6\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5c2fee9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"5c2fee9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.21.0 - 25-04-2024 *\/\n.elementor-column .elementor-spacer-inner{height:var(--spacer-size)}.e-con{--container-widget-width:100%}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer{width:var(--container-widget-width,var(--spacer-size));--align-self:var(--container-widget-align-self,initial);--flex-shrink:0}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container{height:100%;width:100%}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container>.elementor-spacer,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container>.elementor-spacer{height:100%}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container>.elementor-spacer>.elementor-spacer-inner,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container>.elementor-spacer>.elementor-spacer-inner{height:var(--container-widget-height,var(--spacer-size))}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer.elementor-widget-empty,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer.elementor-widget-empty{position:relative;min-height:22px;min-width:22px}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer.elementor-widget-empty .elementor-widget-empty-icon,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer.elementor-widget-empty .elementor-widget-empty-icon{position:absolute;top:0;bottom:0;left:0;right:0;margin:auto;padding:0;width:22px;height:22px}<\/style>\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5be2d1b elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"5be2d1b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.21.0 - 25-04-2024 *\/\n.elementor-heading-title{padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title[class*=elementor-size-]>a{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-small{font-size:15px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-medium{font-size:19px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-large{font-size:29px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xl{font-size:39px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xxl{font-size:59px}<\/style><h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Defining Biomarkers <\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-782347e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"782347e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.21.0 - 25-04-2024 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p>The word biomarker is short for biological marker. A biomarker is any entity (thing) in the body that can take a snapshot or measure what is happening in the body at a given moment. Biomarkers can serve as early warning systems for your health.\u00a0<\/p><p>For example,\u00a0<span style=\"color: var( --e-global-color-text ); background-color: var( --e-global-color-c7f0c9a ); letter-spacing: 0px;\">high cholesterol levels are a common biomarker for heart disease risk, and high levels of lead in the bloodstream show a possible need to test for nervous system and cognitive disorders, especially in children.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"color: var( --e-global-color-text ); background-color: var( --e-global-color-c7f0c9a ); letter-spacing: 0px;\">Biomarkers play an important role in helping us understand relationships between environmental exposures, human biology, and disease. Biomarkers can help us diagnose disease, choose therapy, and follow patients for treatment response, disease recurrence, and outcome. Scientists can use biomarkers to turn research findings into something useful in medicine and public health.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4ddea00 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"4ddea00\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3433fff elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"3433fff\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Biomarker Testing<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-586535d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"586535d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Doctors often look at how changes in genes or proteins in a person\u2019s cancer might affect their treatment options. We call this biomarker testing, where genes or proteins are the biomarkers.<\/p><p>Of note: Genes are pieces of DNA inside a cell. Each gene contains a code (instructions) needed to make a certain protein. Each protein has a given job to do in that cell.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: center;\">(The word <em>genes <\/em>sounds like \u201c<em>jeens<\/em>\u201d when we say it. The word \u201c<em>proteins<\/em>\u201d sounds like \u201c<em>prohteens<\/em>\u201d when we say it.)<\/p><p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"color: var( --e-global-color-text ); text-align: left; background-color: var( --e-global-color-c7f0c9a ); letter-spacing: 0px;\">In biomarker testing, a sample of a patient tumor (cancer) is usually taken. Sometimes testing is done in blood. The use of biomarkers in the blood is being studied by many scientists and is growing quite quickly; however, currently, its use for treatment choice is limited.\u00a0 Biomarker testing in the blood is sometimes used to follow response to therapy and\/or detect recurrence.<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: left;\">Biomarkers in tumor tissue can guide treatment choice and sometimes predict how well a patient might respond to treatment.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2e3a300 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"2e3a300\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4225c57 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"4225c57\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Value Of Testing And Who Should Be Tested<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3003b11 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3003b11\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finding out what biomarkers are in a tumor is critical for any patient because actionable (usable) biomarkers inform a patient\u2019s treatment team whether additional therapies besides chemotherapy will might improve the outcome for that individual patient. These additional therapies may include immunotherapy, targeted therapy, or others. In some cases, these \u201ctailored\u201d treatments <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">may<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> give better results than the general chemotherapy that is offered to all patients regardless of biomarkers.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Biomarker tests can be quite helpful to people after they have been diagnosed with stomach cancer (<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">See <a href=\"https:\/\/stomachcancerbiomarkers.org\/biomarkers-and-treatment-impact\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">STOMACH CANCER: BIOMARKER-GUIDED TREATMENTS<\/a> chart<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">). If anyone with stomach cancer, particularly newly diagnosed disease, is unsure about any part of biomarker testing, they should discuss it with their doctor.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stomach cancer biomarker testing offers the following value:<\/span><\/p><ol><li><b>It helps decide the best initial treatment.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> If a patient\u2019s cancer contains one of the established biomarkers, medicines specially targeted to these biomarkers might be the best treatment to select. In some cases, response to these targeted treatments <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">may<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> be better than with general chemotherapy, which is not \u201cpersonalized\u201d in this way.<\/span><\/li><li><b>It helps avoid ineffective treatments.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Biomarker results may also indicate that a person\u2019s cancer does not have actionable (usable) biomarkers, meaning some treatments are unlikely to work. This information can help avoid treatments that will not be effective for that person\u2019s specific tumor.<\/span><\/li><li><b>It helps predict the risk of the tumor.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Biomarker test results might suggest how a person is likely to benefit from treatment in general without pinpointing a particular therapy. For example, certain biomarkers might point out that a person\u2019s cancer is aggressive and likely to return after initial treatment. In such cases, a patient and provider would be more empowered to discuss additional or more aggressive treatment options.<\/span><\/li><li><b>It helps to can more quickly detect when a tumor comes back.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> After anticancer treatment has ended, and the cancer seems to have gone, blood samples can be collected from time to time and tested for tumor markers to check for recurrence (the return of cancer).<\/span><\/li><li><b>It helps to identify next steps when standard treatments don\u2019t work. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If a patient\u2019s stomach tumor does not shrink or it comes back after initially responding to treatment and is no longer sensitive to stomach cancer-approved therapies, biomarkers may identify medicines approved for other diseases that could be used \u201coff-label\u201d. In this setting, biomarkers can may also identify clinical trials of new medicines that patients may might be eligible for and benefit from.<\/span><\/li><\/ol><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For all these reasons, biomarker testing can be quite helpful at every phase of the journey taken by a person with stomach cancer. If anyone with stomach cancer, particularly if newly diagnosed, is unsure about any part of biomarker testing, they should discuss it with their doctor.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3765ab6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"3765ab6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-80cce50 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"80cce50\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Why And Who Should Test<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d43d6a1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d43d6a1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>If a patient\u2019s cancer contains one of the established biomarkers, treatments targeted to these biomarkers can be prescribed (personalized or \u201cmade-to-order\u201d therapy). Patient response to these targeted treatments <em>may<\/em> be better than with general chemotherapy that is not \u201cmade-to-order.\u201d<\/p><p>Biomarker tests can be quite helpful to people after they have been diagnosed with stomach cancer. If anyone with stomach cancer, particularly newly diagnosed, is unsure about any part of biomarker testing, they should discuss it with their doctor.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e2c3ee6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"e2c3ee6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-07fd070 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"07fd070\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.21.0 - 25-04-2024 *\/\n.elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=\".svg\"]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/stomachcancerbiomarkers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/HOPE-What-is-a-Biomarker_Jan2024-email.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"791\" src=\"https:\/\/stomachcancerbiomarkers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/HOPE-What-is-a-Biomarker_Jan2024-email-pdf-1-1024x791.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-7250\" alt=\"What is a Biomarker\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stomachcancerbiomarkers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/HOPE-What-is-a-Biomarker_Jan2024-email-pdf-1-1024x791.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/stomachcancerbiomarkers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/HOPE-What-is-a-Biomarker_Jan2024-email-pdf-1-300x232.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stomachcancerbiomarkers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/HOPE-What-is-a-Biomarker_Jan2024-email-pdf-1-768x593.jpg 768w, https:\/\/stomachcancerbiomarkers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/HOPE-What-is-a-Biomarker_Jan2024-email-pdf-1-600x464.jpg 600w, https:\/\/stomachcancerbiomarkers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/HOPE-What-is-a-Biomarker_Jan2024-email-pdf-1.jpg 1408w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Download - What is a stomach cancer biomarker<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-add7ecb elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"add7ecb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"662\" src=\"https:\/\/stomachcancerbiomarkers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/4-ways_hires-jan2024-1024x662.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-7285\" alt=\"Biomarker Chart - 4 Ways To Collect Tissue Sample\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stomachcancerbiomarkers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/4-ways_hires-jan2024-1024x662.png 1024w, https:\/\/stomachcancerbiomarkers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/4-ways_hires-jan2024-300x194.png 300w, https:\/\/stomachcancerbiomarkers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/4-ways_hires-jan2024-768x497.png 768w, https:\/\/stomachcancerbiomarkers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/4-ways_hires-jan2024-1536x993.png 1536w, https:\/\/stomachcancerbiomarkers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/4-ways_hires-jan2024-2048x1325.png 2048w, https:\/\/stomachcancerbiomarkers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/4-ways_hires-jan2024-600x388.png 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">What to expect, an overview of testing methods.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bc27d3b elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"bc27d3b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-249c77e elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"249c77e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">What To Expect When Testing<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-03ac980 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"03ac980\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;jet_parallax_layout_list&quot;:[]}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-225a2f9\" data-id=\"225a2f9\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2e1f7eb elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2e1f7eb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Biomarker testing for treatment choice might not be so available in some places.<\/p><p>Even when biomarker testing is available to look for gene or protein changes that might help treatment choice, a person might not have their tumor tested for these changes for a number of reasons.<\/p><p>It is important for the person with stomach cancer (the patient) and their loved ones to ask questions and know all their options. They should ask their healthcare team the following questions about the patient:<\/p><ul><li>Should I have cancer biomarker testing done?<\/li><li>What information will the tests help you find out?<\/li><li>Will the tests help us choose which treatments are best for me?<\/li><li>How much will the tests cost? Will my insurance cover them?<\/li><li>If testing shows a specific treatment might be best for me, how much will this treatment cost? Will my insurance cover it?<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d382212 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"d382212\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9d5509a elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"9d5509a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"663\" src=\"https:\/\/stomachcancerbiomarkers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Chart-2_-HOPE-biomarker-charts_Molecular-Profiling-final-1024x663.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-6912\" alt=\"Chart 2_ HOPE biomarker charts_Molecular Profiling final\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stomachcancerbiomarkers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Chart-2_-HOPE-biomarker-charts_Molecular-Profiling-final-1024x663.png 1024w, https:\/\/stomachcancerbiomarkers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Chart-2_-HOPE-biomarker-charts_Molecular-Profiling-final-300x194.png 300w, https:\/\/stomachcancerbiomarkers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Chart-2_-HOPE-biomarker-charts_Molecular-Profiling-final-768x497.png 768w, https:\/\/stomachcancerbiomarkers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Chart-2_-HOPE-biomarker-charts_Molecular-Profiling-final-600x388.png 600w, https:\/\/stomachcancerbiomarkers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Chart-2_-HOPE-biomarker-charts_Molecular-Profiling-final.png 1276w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Biomarker testing methods - more technical stuff.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d750749 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"d750749\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c99f821 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"c99f821\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">In Tumor Tissue<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1620dcc elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1620dcc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4><u>Ways of measuring HER2<\/u><\/h4><p>HER2 protein amounts are measured using IHC.<\/p><p>HER2 gene amounts \u201camplification\u201d are measured using NGS or ISH.<\/p><h4><u>Ways of measuring PD-L1<\/u><\/h4><p>PD-L1 protein levels are tested using IHC.<\/p><h4><u>Ways of measuring MSI-H\/dMMR<\/u><\/h4><p>MSI is tested by PCR or NGS.<\/p><p>MMR mutations are tested by IHC.<\/p><h4><u>Ways of measuring TMB<\/u><\/h4><p>High tumor mutational burden (TMB) is tested by NGS.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c2c1595 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"c2c1595\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-63c2577 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"63c2577\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Explanation Of Technical Terms<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-55a7ce6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"55a7ce6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><b>IHC<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> = immunohistochemistry; <\/span><b>ISH<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> = in situ hybridization; <\/span><b>NGS<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> = next-generation sequencing; <\/span><b>PCR<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> = polymerase chain reaction.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><b>IHC<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a laboratory method that uses antibodies to check for certain antigens (biomarkers such as HER2) in a tumor sample.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In our bodies, an antibody is an immune system protein that responds and binds to another protein called an antigen, causing an immune response. Each antibody can bind to only one specific antigen.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">IHC involves using a similar antibody-antigen process. In IHC, an antibody locates antigens (e.g., HER2) in cancer biopsy tissue through the use of a visual marker. Fluorescent dye is the most common visual marker used, although there are others.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>PCR<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a laboratory method that makes millions of copies of a DNA sample so that scientists can take a very small sample and make it big enough to see in detail.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>ISH<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is used in the laboratory to detect specific DNA (and RNA) sequences in cells. In the case of cancer biomarkers, in situ hybridization detects a specific mutated DNA sequence and the number of copies of this mutated DNA.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>NGS<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is used in high-tech laboratories to detect specific DNA (and RNA) sequences in cells. In the case of cancer biomarkers, NGS detects a specific mutated DNA sequence and the number of copies of this mutated DNA. This technology can be used on a large scale.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">*It is important that all tests are done in CLIA-certified laboratories.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><br><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><u>*<\/u><\/strong><strong><u>CLIA<\/u><\/strong><u> = Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments.<\/u><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Only CLIA-certified labs meet federal regulations for clinical diagnostic testing, ensuring the quality of results.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-78e8be9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"78e8be9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d29593e elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"d29593e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"663\" src=\"https:\/\/stomachcancerbiomarkers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/liquid-biopsy_hires-jan2024-1024x663.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-7289\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stomachcancerbiomarkers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/liquid-biopsy_hires-jan2024-1024x663.png 1024w, https:\/\/stomachcancerbiomarkers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/liquid-biopsy_hires-jan2024-300x194.png 300w, https:\/\/stomachcancerbiomarkers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/liquid-biopsy_hires-jan2024-768x497.png 768w, https:\/\/stomachcancerbiomarkers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/liquid-biopsy_hires-jan2024-1536x994.png 1536w, https:\/\/stomachcancerbiomarkers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/liquid-biopsy_hires-jan2024-2048x1326.png 2048w, https:\/\/stomachcancerbiomarkers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/liquid-biopsy_hires-jan2024-600x388.png 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Liquid biopsy - circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in blood sample<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cb7bb78 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"cb7bb78\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fd6968c elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"fd6968c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Liquid Biopsy<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d636b20 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d636b20\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Liquid biopsy\u2014circulating tumor DNA <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">(ctDNA)<\/span> in a blood sample.<\/p><p>Liquid biopsy is now being used in patients with advanced gastric\/GEJ cancer. The testing of biomarkers in blood can be done using NGS.<\/p><p>Biomarker testing in the blood can be complementary to tumor tissue-based testing, as both approaches can have limitations that the other can compensate for.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-960f53a elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"960f53a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4d4ee65 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"4d4ee65\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Results: What Testing Shows<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-128e4ba elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"128e4ba\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Testing of all patients for HER2, PD-L1, and MSI biomarkers should be done when a patient is first diagnosed and if metastatic disease is confirmed or suspected. PD-L1 testing should be done in patients with recurrent or mGC (<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">see \u201cFor patients with stage 4 (metastatic) and some stage 3 (locally advanced unresectable or recurrent) gastric\/GEJ cancers\u201d below<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For patients with stages 0, 1, 2, or some stage 3 gastric\/GEJ cancers:<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Removal of the tumor using surgery is the most basic route to a possible cure.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Depending on the specific cancer diagnosis, location, and stage, additional therapies like radiation therapy or systemic therapy (chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy) may might help shrink the tumor and make it easier for the surgeon to carry out successful curative surgery. These therapies are often given before but can sometimes be given after the surgery.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example:<\/span><\/p><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One or a combination of systemic therapies is used for stage 2 or 3 cancer.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Systemic therapy might also be used for stage 1 cancer.\u00a0<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are open clinical trials of immunotherapy and biomarker-targeted treatment if a patient is \u201ca fit\u201d for any of these trials (you will hear doctors patients will often hear doctors talking about being \u201celigible\u201d or \u201cmeeting the criteria\u201d) and if the treating physician thinks the trial is a good idea for that particular patient.<\/span><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><b>Stage 0 cancer <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is abnormal cells that look like cancer cells under a microscope. These cells are found only in the stomach and haven\u2019t spread to nearby tissue.<\/span><\/p><p><b>Stage 1 cancer<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is generally small, contained within the stomach, and has not spread to the lymph nodes or other parts of the body).\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><b>Stage 2 or 3 cancers<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are both classed as locally advanced and have some degree of spread into other tissues but can be surgically removable.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For patients with stage 4 (metastatic) and some stage 3 (locally advanced unresectable or recurrent) gastric\/GEJ cancers:<\/span><\/p><ul><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0 <\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Surgery typically has more risks than benefits and can only take out one area of the tumor. Unfortunately, if a cancer has spread to multiple sites, it is rare that a surgeon can safely and successfully remove all cancer cells within a patient. For this reason, we must instead rely on therapies that can access the entire body, which is referred to as systemic therapy. This therapy is discussed in the next section <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(locally advanced, recurrent, or metastatic cancer treatments)<\/span><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><b>Metastatic <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">means that the cancer has spread to other parts of the body<\/span><\/p><p><b>Locally advanced unresectable<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> means that the cancer has spread within the stomach\/GEJ in a way that cannot be removed by surgery<\/span><\/p><p><b>Recurrent<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> means the cancer has returned after previous therapy.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9923983 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"9923983\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0e1a6a3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"0e1a6a3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Risks Of Testing<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c0f6a4c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c0f6a4c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><b>It may not be possible to get results. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, a person may not be able to have a biopsy taken safely or have a biopsy taken that does not contain enough tumor tissue to do biomarker testing. Additionally, depending on where a patient lives and gets treated, certain biomarker tests may not be readily available.<\/span><\/p><ol><li><b>The results may not be helpful. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although biomarker testing can sometimes help find the best cancer treatment for the person being tested, this testing does not always help everyone. There are various reasons for this, including:<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, the biomarkers in a tumor do not match any available therapies.<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, the biomarkers in a tumor reflect changes that are not useful in making treatment decisions because their significance in cancer is not clearly understood (known as variants of unknown significance, or VUS).<\/span><\/li><\/ol><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, a matching therapy may be found, but it is off-label (it is FDA-approved to treat a different disease) and not covered by a person\u2019s health insurance.<\/span><\/p><ol><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, the matching therapy is a new therapy that is still in clinical trials, and the person may not be eligible or able to participate.<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even if a biomarker matches an available treatment, there is no guarantee that the therapy will be effective for that person. Many factors can influence how successful a treatment is, such as how the cancer behaves and how a person\u2019s body responds to the treatment.\u00a0<\/span><\/li><li><b>The results may change.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Biomarker testing of tumor tissue provides a single \u201csnapshot\u201d of the biomarkers present at the time of biopsy. The biomarkers can then change. So, what we see today may be different from what we see further down the line. If a cancer reappears after treatment, a healthcare provider may recommend doing another biomarker test to see the latest picture and change therapy as needed.<\/span><\/li><\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c51c552 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"c51c552\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7b60158 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"7b60158\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Cost Of Testing<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5a27870 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5a27870\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The cost of biomarker testing and the treatment choices made as a result of this testing can sometimes be a concern:<\/p><ul><li>Tests for gene and protein changes can be expensive, especially if many changes are being assessed, and insurance might not cover all testing costs.<\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Moreover, if a person\u2019s or people whose best treatment option based on their cancer\u2019s gene or protein changes is a specific targeted therapy or immunotherapy based on their cancer\u2019s gene or protein changes, the treatment itself might be expensive and might not be covered by insurance.<\/span><\/li><\/ul><p>More information* on insurance coverage:<\/p><ul><li>For people with advanced cancer, some biomarker tests are covered by Medicare and Medicaid.<\/li><li>Private insurance companies often cover the cost of biomarker testing if there is enough proof that the test is needed to guide treatment decisions.\u00a0 See the <a href=\"https:\/\/stomachcancerbiomarkers.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/HOPE-Biomarker-Guide_3pg_patient_Jan2024_v3-proof-1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">download of approved biomarkers<\/a>.<\/li><li>Tests without enough proof to support their value may be viewed as experimental. In these cases, insurance might not cover the tests or the biomarker-suggested treatment. This type of biomarker testing might be done as part of a clinical trial of a new cancer treatment.<ul><li>If a person joins one of these clinical trials, the cost of biomarker testing for any new biomarkers and the recommended treatments should be covered by the study.<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><p>*A person\u2019s healthcare team can provide more specific information about related costs and what a person\u2019s insurance will cover. They can also provide clinical trial information<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Defining Biomarkers The word biomarker is short for biological marker. A biomarker is any entity (thing) in the body that can take a snapshot or measure what is happening in the body at a given moment. Biomarkers can serve as early warning systems for your health.\u00a0 For example,\u00a0high cholesterol levels are a common biomarker for [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-templates\/default-title-hero.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v22.5 (Yoast SEO v22.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>What Is A Biomarker? &#8226; Stomach Cancer Biomarkers<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Biomarker is short for biological marker. 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