Patients and Caregivers

What is FoundationOne?

FoundationOne™ is the first pan-cancer, fully informative genomic profile designed to help oncologists expand their patients’ treatment options. FoundationOne uses an advanced new technology called next-generation sequencing to identify changes, or mutations, in the DNA of a tumor. These changes may make the tumor more likely to respond to certain drugs or may mean that a patient is a good match for a clinical trial. FoundationOne, which is ordered by your physician, provides this information in a report that matches detected mutations with what could otherwise be unappreciated, potentially relevant treatment options and clinical trials.

FoundationOne™ is the first pan-cancer, fully informative genomic profile to help expand patients' treatment options.
For all solid tumors, FoundationOne
detects all classes of
gene alterations
that may drive cancer.
On average, FoundationOne identifies 2 to 3 genomic alterations per patient that may inform treatment decisions with targeted therapies or clinical trials.

What is different about this test?

Today, we know more about the complexity of cancer than ever before. Cancers have long been categorized and treated by the place you find them, lung, breast, colon, skin, etc. However, we have known for some time that cancers are more accurately categorized by the underlying alterations in the DNA that drive cancer growth, which can occur in any tumor type. As we understand more about these underlying DNA alterations, traditional cytotoxic treatments are rapidly being replaced by less toxic, more effective therapies that specifically target these changes in a patient’s DNA that are important for cancer cell survival.

FoundationOne helps your physician reveal the DNA alterations that are driving the growth of your cancer and identify treatment options that may be available to you based on the alterations in your unique cancer. FoundationOne is more comprehensive and identifies more potential treatment options than other available tests because it analyzes all genes known to be relevant in human cancers.

How FoundationOne works

World-renowned leaders in cancer genomics from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the Broad Institute, Harvard University and MIT founded Foundation Medicine with the goal of making advanced cancer genomic analysis available to any patient in any medical center.
This goal has been made a reality thanks to the work of Foundation Medicine's experts in the field of cancer genomics and medical oncology.
Our first product, FoundationOne, was developed to analyze all genes known to be altered in the tumor cells of human solid cancers to provide a fully informative cancer genomic profile.
The test uses a very small amount of biopsy tissue from any type of solid tumor so you can obtain a great deal of information from a very small tumor sample.
Your results are presented to your oncologist along with interpretive information drawn from the latest scientific and medical literature. This helps your oncologist make individualized treatment and clinical trial recommendations specific to your personal cancer genomic profile.

FAQs

How do I get FoundationOne?

FoundationOne must be ordered by a physician, so the first step is to talk to your oncologist to see if he or she feels you are a good candidate. You can also contact Foundation Medicine for more general information.

How long does it take to get results?

Your physician will receive a report approximately 21 days after your tumor specimen is received in our laboratory. Click here for more information about understanding the results.

Will my insurance cover the test?

Foundation Medicine will bill the insurance company for FoundationOne, as the provider of service. Typically, it takes 60 to 90 days for the insurance company to respond to Foundation Medicine’s claims. During this time you may receive an Explanation of Benefits, this is not a bill and will explain the coverage initially offered by the insurance company for FoundationOne.

If the insurance company denies coverage, Foundation Medicine works on your behalf to attempt to obtain coverage and will assist in pursuing appeals on your behalf to minimize the financial burden when appropriate. We may also contact your office for assistance in the appeals process.

Click here for a more detailed explanation of billing financial services.

What is FoundationOne?

FoundationOne is a tool that helps you and your doctor reveal the DNA alterations that are driving the growth of your cancer and identifies treatment options that may be available to you based on the alterations in your unique cancer.

Who is eligible for the FoundationOne test?

FoundationOne is available for any patient with a malignant solid tumor. It may reveal additional relevant treatment options to consider for patients based on the molecular profile of their tumor or may help provide additional information for patients who are searching for clinical trial options.

How might FoundationOne help me?

FoundationOne helps your physician reveal the DNA alterations driving the growth of your cancer and identify treatment options that may be available to you based on the alterations in your unique cancer which may not have otherwise been considered. Your physician can help determine if you are a good candidate for FoundationOne.

Does FoundationOne predict response to chemotherapy or the likelihood of recurrence?
No, FoundationOne was not designed to predict response to chemotherapy or recurrence. FoundationOne helps match the genomic alterations present in a tumor with specific targeted therapies or clinical trials.

Who can I contact if I have additional questions?
FoundationOne Customer Services Team: (888) 988-3639

Hours of operation: Monday through Friday, 8:00 am EST – 6:00 pm EST
Fax: (617) 418-2290
Email our support team.

Please have your account number (found on your bill) and insurance policy number (from your insurance card) available.

Talking to your doctor

Talking with your doctor openly about your diagnosis and treatment—and keeping informed every step of the way—will help you work with your doctor to make the best possible decisions about your treatment.

By staying informed and asking about molecular testing, you can be sure that every avenue for treating your cancer has been explored.

These patient advocacy groups can help you stay up to date on information about molecular testing and can give you the tools to have informed discussions with your physician:

Contact

At Foundation Medicine we are committed to providing excellent service. If you have questions about FoundationOne, Foundation Medicine's dedicated Client Services team is on-hand to assist you.

FoundationOne Client Services: (888) 988-3639

Hours of operation: Monday through Friday, 8:00 am ET – 6:00 pm ET
Fax: (617) 418-2290
Email our support team.

Please have your account number (found on your bill) and insurance policy number (from your insurance card) available.