Service Line Focus: Brain Tumor Care

Brain tumor care is a highly specialized area that spans the cancer and neurosciences service lines. Sg2’s 2024 Impact of Change forecast projects modest growth for brain/central nervous system (CNS) tumor services over the decade: 1% for inpatient, 13% outpatient.

Provider systems confront a highly competitive landscape for these low-volume, high-margin services. To capture the opportunity in this arena, they must ensure they can offer the advanced—often costly—therapies, innovations and ancillary services essential to high-quality care.

Advanced diagnostic techniques are part of that equation for brain/CNS cancer, for which rapid intervention can be critical. Although timely diagnosis remains a challenge for these cases, two techniques now being explored show potential for more accurate, faster turnaround times.

► Targeted Rapid Sequencing

Researchers at Mass General Brigham, Boston, have developed a rapid genotyping test that leverages targeted rapid sequencing to detect the presence of select brain cancers (eg, primary and secondary CNS lymphoma, glioblastoma, gliomas) from cerebrospinal fluid samples obtained by a lumbar puncture. The test has the potential to eliminate the need for surgical brain biopsy in select patients. It has even been reported to reduce time to diagnosis from 10 days to two days. This test is currently available within MGB while further studies are under way.

►Optical Genome Mapping (OGM)

This emerging molecular diagnostic technique enables visualization of DNA structures at high resolution. It can be particularly beneficial in brain/CNS cancer for diagnosis, monitoring and treatment. Compared to traditional cytogenetic methods, OGM has the potential to identify structural variants more effectively, which can lead to more diagnoses. The level of detail offered also can help clinicians track tumor progression and provide more targeted treatments. A study on OGM’s clinical utility published in July 2024 found this diagnostic tool to have higher resolution and sensitivity for diagnosing gliomas compared to traditional techniques. It noted OGM’s capability to detect all classes of structural variants in a single test with shortened turnaround time.

This technology is still in the research phase, and Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago was recently awarded funding from the National Cancer Institute to investigate OGM clinical testing across 1,500 brain tumor samples over the course of a five-year study.

Key Takeaway: Proof of their extensive experience and ability to foster superior interdisciplinary clinical alignment is imperative to the success of any brain/CNS cancer program. Staying abreast of innovations in diagnostics, such as targeted rapid sequencing and OGM, must be part of that value proposition.

For a deeper dive into this topic, Sg2 members can access our recent newsletter on Infusion Strategy and Brain Tumor Care in the Neurosciences Resource Kit and our Brain/CNS Tumor subspecialty guide.

Sg2 offers in-depth strategic guidance in numerous service lines: Behavioral Health, Cancer, Cardiovascular, Medicine, Neurosciences, Orthopedics, Surgery and Women’s Health. Not a member? Reach out to us at learnmore@sg2.com.