Community oncology expands biomarker testing and immunotherapy use, study finds

New research from Flatiron Health and the Community Oncology Alliance found major growth in advanced cancer testing and newer treatments across more than 200 community oncology practices. The findings, set for presentation at the 2026 ASCO Quality Care Symposium, suggest patients can access increasingly personalized care closer to home.

Why it matters: - Community oncology practices treat more than half of U.S. cancer patients, so changes in these settings affect where and how millions receive care. - The study shows advanced testing and modern therapies are reaching patients outside major academic centers. - The findings add evidence that guideline-aligned cancer care is expanding in community settings.

What happened: - Flatiron Health and the Community Oncology Alliance analyzed care for more than 240,000 patients across more than 200 community oncology practices. - The study focused on patients with metastatic breast cancer and metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. - Researchers examined biomarker testing, use of therapies aligned with National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines, and how quickly patients started treatment. - The findings will be presented at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology Quality Care Symposium in Boston on Oct. 16-17.

The details: - Among patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, next-generation sequencing increased from 8% to 90% over the study period. - Immunotherapy use in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer rose from 15% to 77%. - About 80% of patients started treatment within six weeks of their first oncology visit. - The study covered more than 104,000 patients with metastatic breast cancer and nearly 139,000 patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. - The research used the Flatiron Health Research Network. - The study builds on an April 2026 collaboration analysis that found longer survival in participating community oncology practices versus national benchmarks. - The earlier phase examined nearly 98,000 patients with metastatic breast cancer or non-small cell lung cancer. - Compared with National Cancer Institute SEER estimates, median survival was eight months longer for metastatic breast cancer and two months longer for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer in participating practices. - The study poster is available here. - The study abstract is available here.

Between the lines: - The data suggest community practices are not just preserving access; they are adopting tools that drive personalized cancer treatment. - The shift toward more genomic testing and immunotherapy shows that advanced care is becoming routine in settings closer to where patients live. - Real-world evidence from community oncology can help close the information gap on how new cancer advances are being used outside large academic centers.

What's next: - The ASCO presentation will add peer-reviewed visibility to the findings. - The collaboration’s next phase will likely keep testing whether community oncology can deliver both access and outcomes as treatment standards evolve. - Flatiron and COA are expected to continue using real-world data to measure care delivery in community settings.

The bottom line: - Community oncology practices are increasingly delivering modern, guideline-based cancer care close to home, with sharper testing and wider use of newer treatments.