Six health systems and organizations awarded funding to improve patient access to cancer care through optimizing molecular testing pathways, biomarker-driven treatment selection, and precision oncology implementation in metastatic colorectal cancer

/PRNewswire/ - With over 150,000 new colorectal cancer cases diagnosed annually in the United States, metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) remains an area of significant unmet medical need.

The American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), partnering with Pfizer and involving the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), has named the recipients of its metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) Quality Improvement (QI) Grant Program. The effort backs creative projects aimed at enhancing biomarker testing and frontline treatment selection for individuals facing metastatic colorectal cancer.

The following organizations have been selected to receive grant funding, with awards ranging from $185,000 to $250,000:

MAWD Pathology Group
Northwell Health / Feinstein Institutes
PanOncology Research Foundation / Pan American Center for Oncology Trials (Puerto Rico)
TriHealth Cancer Institute
Tufts Medical Center
University of Chicago Medicine

The grants form part of a multi-year initiative launched through a Request for Proposals (RFP) announced by ASCP in January 2026. The program targets ongoing gaps in molecular testing, communication, care coordination, and biomarker-driven treatment decisions for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

Funded projects cover a variety of forward-thinking areas, including molecular testing pathways, biomarker testing optimization, system-wide precision oncology rollout and equity efforts, plus scalable advances for diagnostic excellence and therapeutic precision for patients with metastatic colorectal cancers.

"These grant recipients represent a diverse group of healthcare organizations committed to advancing precision medicine and improving outcomes for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer," said Ali Brown, MD, Interim CEO of ASCP. "Through these projects, participants will help strengthen biomarker testing pathways, improve communication across multidisciplinary care teams, and develop scalable solutions that ensure patients receive timely, guideline-concordant care. We are excited to support initiatives that have the potential to create lasting improvements to patient care not only within these institutions, but across the broader oncology community."

Metastatic colorectal cancer treatment increasingly depends on timely and accurate biomarker testing to guide therapy selection. In alignment with National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines, the initiative focuses on improving testing practices for key biomarkers, including RAS (KRAS/NRAS) mutations, BRAF mutations, HER2 amplification, and microsatellite instability (MSI)/mismatch repair (MMR) status.

The funded QI projects are structured as pathology-centric, multidisciplinary health system implementation efforts, with particular emphasis on community-based care settings. Participating institutions will bring together pathologists, laboratory professionals, oncologists, surgeons, and other members of the cancer care team to identify barriers, optimize workflows, and improve coordination across the continuum of care.

Through the program, participating organizations will leverage ASCP's Performance and Diagnostic Insights (PDI) platform, which provides real-time data aggregation and analytics to support performance measurement and evidence-based decision-making. Projects will evaluate current biomarker testing practices, identify variation in test ordering and reporting workflows, and implement targeted interventions to improve efficiency, timeliness, and communication of results.

Key objectives of the initiative include:

Understanding current biomarker testing practices and identifying variation in test-ordering protocols
Evaluating turnaround times, reporting workflows, and operational efficiency
Addressing communication gaps to ensure timely dissemination of biomarker results to the care team
Establishing pathways for accelerated molecular diagnostics to support optimal frontline treatment decisions
Improving patient safety by ensuring appropriate, guideline-concordant testing and therapy selection
Strengthening care team capabilities by equipping pathology and laboratory professionals with tools and skills to enhance communication and care coordination

In addition to driving measurable improvements within participating institutions, the program will generate practical insights and best practices that can be shared broadly to advance biomarker testing and precision oncology care nationwide. The initiative is intended to promote sustainable, scalable improvements that support timely diagnosis, personalized treatment planning, and better outcomes for patients living with metastatic colorectal cancer.

About ASCP
Founded in 1922 in Chicago, ASCP is a medical professional society with more than 100,000 member board-certified anatomic and clinical pathologists, pathology residents and fellows, laboratory professionals, and students. ASCP provides excellence in education, certification, and advocacy on behalf of patients, pathologists, and laboratory professionals. To learn more, visit http://www.ascp.org.

SOURCE American Society for Clinical Pathology