Two east Idaho hospitals launch program to improve cancer biopsy testing

Bingham Memorial Hospital is playing a leading role in a first-of-its-kind cancer care initiative in the Pacific Northwest through a partnership with Portneuf Medical Center and Virchow Medical. Since June 2025, the hospitals have been using the Crow’s Nest Biopsy Catchment System to capture and preserve tumor cells that are typically discarded after routine biopsy procedures. These additional cells can be converted into high-quality specimens for molecular testing, potentially eliminating the need for repeat biopsies when initial tissue samples are insufficient and helping physicians identify targeted treatment options more quickly.

“We recognize that precision medicine is universally preferable to chemotherapy for our cancer patients,” said Jake Erickson, CEO of Bingham Healthcare. “Our hospitals are early adopters of technology that has the potential to improve patient outcomes, especially technologies that can do that without taking anything additional from the patient.”

The technique enables faster genomic testing, with some results available the same day as compared with the typical three- to ten-day turnaround. The preserved samples are also stored long-term, allowing future re-testing if needed.

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