As care teams seek new ways to engage and support patients with rare cancers, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Jim Palma, executive director of TargetCancer Foundation, a patient-founded nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting patients living with, and researchers focused on, rare cancers. In this episode, hear about the fully remote TRACK (Target Rare Cancer Knowledge) clinical trial and its unique approach to providing access to biomarker testing for patients in community care settings by leveraging technology.

"It [access to biomarker testing] really is one of the biggest challenges that patients with rare cancer face, as well as access to interpretation of results in a way that leads them to the right treatment. So, what we've done is developed a [fully remote] clinical trial that offers testing to patients at no cost and eases their ability to enroll in the trial through remote consenting." – Jim Palma, Executive Director

This is the third episode in a podcast series developed in connection with the ACCC education program Emerging Biomarkers: Innovative Therapies for NTRK Gene Fusion Testing and was made possible with support by Bayer.

Jim Palma,

Executive Director

TargetCancer Foundation

Cambridge, MA

Additional Reading/Sources:

· Emerging Biomarkers: A Spotlight on NTRK Gene Fusion Testing (accc-cancer.org)

· NTRKers Patient Community & Support (ntrkers.org)

· NTRK Gene Fusion Infographic (ntrkers.org)

· NTRK fusion-positive cancers and TRK inhibitor therapy