Clinical Guidelines

Biochemical Tumor Markers: Are New Testing Guidelines Fit for Purpose?

CLSI guidance achieves technical excellence but has some questionable omissions, says Mustafa Barbhuiya

Share

The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) has published guideline C65 on Biochemical Tumor Marker Testing, which aims to standardize protein-based oncology diagnostics. This guideline covers ten commonly used soluble markers but notably omits serum free light chains and lacks specific guidance on radiation therapy monitoring. While it effectively addresses pre-examination factors to reduce lab errors, there is a critical need for broader scope in future versions to include multi-modal approaches and specific treatment responses. Mustafa Barbhuiya, a medical director and educator, emphasizes the necessity for an integrated framework in oncology diagnostics.

Original Source(s)

Biochemical Tumor Markers: Are New Testing Guidelines Fit for Purpose?

  • by Mustafa Barbhuiya

  • March 18, 2026

Related Content

Timely Scans May Reduce Mortality in Patients Who Present to the ER With Hematuria

One in 10 patients who present to the emergency room (ER) with visible hematuria die within 3 months, new research from the United Kingdom has indicated. The WASHOUT study found that a scan administer...

New AACR President-Elect and Board Members Announced

The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) has announced that Robert H. Vonderheide, MD, DPhil, has been named the 2026–2027 AACR President-elect. Dr. Vonderheide is an renowned cancer immuno...

Neoadjuvant/Adjuvant Doublet Significantly Improved Survival in Patients With Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer

The combination of the NECTIN4-directed antibody drug conjugate enfortumab vedotin-ejfv and the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab is the established first-line standard-of-care treatment for patients w...