Foundation Medicine, Inc. has announced the awarding of two grants to organizations focused on reducing disparities in biomarker testing for breast and prostate cancer. These grants follow an open call for proposals in April 2024, where Foundation Medicine sought collaborations between two distinct organizations. The initiative emphasizes the importance of multi-stakeholder partnerships in addressing disparities in oncology care.
The 2024 grant recipients are:
- Living Beyond Breast Cancer and Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Jefferson Health for the “No One Missed: Grassroots Pilot for Under-Resourced Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients.” This initiative will examine factors such as behavior, attitudes, communication practices, and norms that influence newly diagnosed, under-resourced metastatic breast cancer patients in Philadelphia to engage more fully in biomarker testing and shared decision-making. The pilot program is set to conclude by mid-2025.
- Patient Advocate Foundation and ZERO Prostate Cancer for “A Patient-Focused Partnership to Advance Health Equity in Biomarker Testing among Patients with Prostate Cancer.” This program will create a Prostate Cancer Biomarker Education Patient Advisory Group, focusing on addressing the needs of Black men who face unique challenges in prostate cancer care, including mistrust of the healthcare system, lack of information, and financial barriers. This program will conclude by the end of 2025.
Dr. Mia Levy, Chief Medical Officer at Foundation Medicine, stated, “With each new advancement, we can push cancer care forward and bring the promise of precision medicine to more people, but we can also inadvertently exacerbate gaps in education, awareness, and access to genomic testing for others. At Foundation Medicine, we’re committed to making cancer care more equitable for all patients living with advanced cancer. But we cannot address these disparities alone, which is why we’re proud to collaborate with our partners in the oncology community to remove the barriers to accessing personalized cancer care in breast and prostate cancer.”
While precision therapies based on actionable biomarkers offer hope for cancer patients, barriers to equitable cancer care—such as limited access to genomic testing—remain prevalent. These grants continue Foundation Medicine’s efforts to close gaps in cancer care access, following a similar initiative in 2022 with Moffitt Cancer Center and LUNGevity to address disparities in biomarker testing for lung cancer.
About Foundation Medicine
Foundation Medicine is a leader in molecular profiling for cancer, working to shape the future of clinical care and research. The company collaborates with partners across the cancer community to set the standard for scientific excellence, regulatory leadership, and quality. Foundation Medicine is committed to empowering physicians and researchers with cancer biology insights to guide treatment decisions and accelerate the development of new therapies.
