Impact & Research
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Equitable access to biomarker testing and personalized cancer care must be a standard of care for all Canadian patients, regardless of age, location, or income.
Policy Brief (October 2026)
Ahead of the Federal, Provincial and Territorial (FPT) Health Ministers’ meeting, the BEAT Cancer Coalition urges ministers to advance timely and equitable access to clinically appropriate biomarker testing for cancer patients across Canada.
Biomarker testing can help healthcare teams identify suitable treatments and clinical trials, but differences in funding, laboratory capacity and testing pathways mean access can depend on where patients live or their ability to pay.
This policy brief outlines three priorities for action: improving education and navigation, strengthening testing capacity and pathways, and coordinating funding, standards and accountability across Canada.
“Right test. Right time. Every patient.”
Department of Finance: Pre-Budget Submission (September 2026)
The BEAT Cancer Coalition recommends a federal investment of $25 million over five years, beginning in 2027–28, to advance timely and equitable access to clinically appropriate biomarker testing across Canada.
Submitted to the Department of Finance for the pre-budget consultations, this report presents evidence on the potential benefits of biomarker testing for patients and the healthcare system. It outlines investments in education, laboratory and workforce capacity, digital systems and coordinated testing pathways.
Developed in collaboration with provinces, territories and cancer-system stakeholders, the proposed initiative would help ensure testing results are available, understood and acted upon in time to guide care.
“Access determined by clinical need and evidence, not geography or ability to pay.”
Policy Paper (July 2022)
The BEAT Cancer Coalition recommends that governments enable equitable access to the appropriate advanced molecular diagnostic testing through comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP), for all cancer patients across Canada.
The treatment landscape for cancer has evolved significantly over the past few decades, with a shift towards personalized healthcare for individual patients. Cancer therapies are now being developed based on key molecular drivers within the genomic profile of individual tumours.
Despite these advancements, patients today still suffer from the one-size-fits-all approach to treatment, lacking access to advanced diagnostics and being subjected to sequential rounds of therapy that may or may not be successful.
” 63% of patients unaware of biomarker-guided treatment at diagnosis.”
"All Canadian oncology patients, regardless of where they live, should receive timely and appropriate advanced molecular testing in order to receive the optimal therapy for them, giving them the greatest chance of treatment success and the greatest opportunity to live their best life."
Biomarker Testing Video Series
Hear directly from Canadian experts as they explain what biomarker testing is, how it works, and the value it brings to patients living with cancer.
“Biomarker testing reveals the unique molecular profile of a tumour — it’s how we ensure the right treatment for the right patient at the right time.” — Dr. Brandon Sheffield
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