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ROS1 testing: what it means for you

Waiting on test results can feel like one more hard thing, for you and the people who love you. Here's what the ROS1 test looks for and how it can help your care team pick the treatment most likely to work for you.

ℹ️ General information to help you and your loved ones talk with your care team, not medical advice. Read our disclaimer.

Matters most in: Lung cancer

Why it matters

Though rare, ROS1-positive cancer can be treated with targeted pills that often work well.

Treatments it can point to

• ROS1 pills such as crizotinib, entrectinib or repotrectinib

Only your care team can say which treatment fits you. Drug approvals depend on cancer type, stage and prior treatment.

Tissue vs. blood testing

Tissue (gene panel or FISH); blood tests can sometimes find it.

Most tests use a piece of tumor tissue from a biopsy or surgery. Some can also use a blood sample (a 'liquid biopsy') that looks for tumor DNA floating in the blood. Blood tests are easier and faster, but they can miss a change that a tissue test would find, so a negative blood test is often followed by a tissue test.

❓ Questions you and your loved ones can ask

• Was my tumor tested for ROS1 with a broad gene panel?
• When will my results be back, and will treatment wait for them?
• Will my insurance cover this test?

Written by the Cancer Side Effects Guide team from FDA labels and leading cancer centers. Not medical advice. · Last updated: October 15, 2026 · How we write