Milesky: Biomarker testing bills could save lives

Almost all of us have been touched by cancer at selected point in our lives If we haven t had it chances are we know a loved one or a friend who has When someone dies from cancer families go through deep sadness among other emotions It seems extraordinarily unfair when it happens to someone at a young age But imagine losing someone who didn t have to die That s what happened to me and my family In my husband Larry had colon cancer The tumor was removed at MGH and he was referred to their oncology center to consider healing A radio broadcast consultant and father of three young adults Larry and I lived a full proceeding and happy life together on Cape Cod For several months post-surgery Larry weighed the pros and cons of adjuvant chemotherapy with fluoropyrimidines Ultimately he decided to begin chemotherapy to have the best chance of preventing a recurrence and in his words leaving me as a widow Unfortunately biomarker testing was never offered to ensure that his healing plan was tailored to meet his individual requirements It is a regret I live with every day Four days into rehabilitation Larry started complaining of mouth sores that worsened progressively Several days later he was evaluated in the ambulatory clinic where biomarker testing was conducted Larry was admitted to MGH in excruciating pain and with an inability to swallow Four days later he was transferred to the ICU and intubated where he remained until his death A day after being admitted to the ICU Larry s biomarker testing returned and indicated a complete deficiency in the gene responsible for metabolizing his type of chemotherapy Known as dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase or DPYD deficiency Larry was experiencing a -fold overdose I could provide a list of horrific clues but will just say that his body was burning from the inside out I learned too late that Larry s suffering and untimely death could have been prevented with biomarker testing We didn t know that of the population is DPYD deficient Biomarker testing is an incredible diagnostic tool that can be used to diagnose and determine healing for several diseases It s used to analyze a person s blood or tissue or urine to detect specific biomarkers genetic protein histological etc The results not only diagnose but also determine which restoration will work best and conversely which treatments to stay away from Biomarkers can tell us the likely syllabus the syndrome will take and the peril of recurrence But biomarker testing is not as of now available to everyone If it were Larry would be here in contemporary times He would have celebrated our son Zac s wedding and he would have proudly walked our daughter Jordan down the aisle at her wedding Lawmakers on Beacon Hill have a chance to make a real difference in the lives of thousands of their constituents Two bills currently pending in the legislature H and S called An Act Relative to Person Access to Biomarker Testing to Provide Appropriate Therapy would be transformative by requiring soundness insurers to cover biomarker testing It would end up saving the state millions of dollars in recurrent hospitalizations and healing and certainly lead to better outcomes and sufferer quality of life I don t think we ll ever fully recover from losing Larry but I will find peace if his death can be a catalyst for change Since Larry s death I ve been working to eliminate walls and expand access to biomarker testing Mass General Brigham has now established a comprehensive DPYD pre-testing undertaking across their hospitals And because of the strong and tireless work of advocates the FDA and the National Comprehensive Cancer Setup now recommend clinicians discuss preemptive testing with patients before medication with fluoropyrimidines Every Massachusetts resident who requirements it should have access to this life-saving reserve I urge lawmakers to pass House and S so that needless deaths don t happen and no family goes through unnecessary anguish like ours has Kerin Milesky lives on Cape Cod and works with the Advocates for Universal DPD DPYD Testing to improve recovery outcomes for patients preparing to receive chemotherapy based on fluoropyrimidine drugs She testified in favor of the Biomarker bill