Biomarker testing, a potential lifesaver, can help cancer specialists choose the best treatment for some types of cancer. Insurers must cover this testing under a New York state law that takes effect on Jan. 1, 2025. Dr. Thomas VanderMeer, who is a surgeon and the medical director of the Upstate Cancer Center, and Michael Davoli, the American Cancer Society's senior government relations director for New York, explain how biomarker testing works in this week's "HealthLink on Air." Prior to the new law, about a third of commercial health insurers in New York would pay for biomarker testing.
Also on this week's show, how trustworthy is medically related information online? Parents of children with cancer face an especially tricky task. Dr. Amy Caruso Brown, who treats children with cancer, discusses the risks and benefits of social media usage and the suggestions parents made for improvements. Caruso Brown is one of the researchers exploring this topic in a paper for the journal Pediatric Blood and Cancer. She is an associate professor of bioethics and humanities and of pediatrics at Upstate and specializes in pediatric hematology/oncology.
Listen to Healthlink on Air every Sunday at 6 a.m. on WRVO.