The American Society for Clinical Pathology has announced a new Request for Proposals in partnership with Pfizer, with participation from the American Society of Clinical Oncology, to support Quality Improvement grant projects focused on biomarker testing in metastatic colorectal cancer. The initiative will provide funding of up to 250,000 dollars per project and is designed to strengthen how biomarker data is used to guide first line treatment decisions for patients with mCRC. The Request for Proposals is scheduled to open on January 26, 2026, and ASCP will oversee the administration and management of the program.
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This multi year effort is intended to close long standing gaps in molecular testing, clinical communication, and coordination of care that often affect treatment planning for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. The supported projects will work to improve testing practices for key biomarkers such as KRAS and NRAS mutations, BRAF mutations, HER2 amplification, and microsatellite instability or mismatch repair status. All activities will align with current National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines to ensure testing supports evidence based treatment decisions.
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The grant projects will be led by pathology teams and carried out through multidisciplinary collaboration within health systems, with a strong emphasis on community based care settings. Pathologists, laboratory teams, oncologists, and other clinical professionals will work together to improve workflows and communication across departments. ASCO will contribute by helping align the work with real world oncology practice and by supporting broader sharing of insights and outcomes across the cancer care community.
Ali Brown, Interim Chief Executive Officer of the American Society for Clinical Pathology, explained that the program is designed to reinforce collaboration across the cancer care team. She noted that investing in pathology driven quality improvement helps healthcare organizations strengthen their internal processes and partnerships. According to Brown, the goal is to ensure that biomarker testing is accurate, timely, and clearly communicated so oncologists can make well informed treatment choices that ultimately benefit patients living with metastatic colorectal cancer.
Projects selected for funding will use ASCP Performance and Diagnostic Insights platform to collect and analyze data in real time. Participating institutions will review their existing biomarker testing practices, identify inconsistencies in how tests are ordered and reported, and introduce targeted changes to improve efficiency and turnaround times. The program also places strong emphasis on improving how test results are shared among care teams so treatment decisions are not delayed.
Beyond improvements within individual organizations, the initiative aims to generate practical insights that can be applied more broadly. Findings and best practices from the funded projects will be shared across the healthcare community to support scalable and lasting improvements in biomarker testing and care delivery for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.
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