{"title":"Tempus","summary":"Tempus runs genomic tests on tumor tissue, blood and saliva to help guide treatment, check for inherited risk and monitor for remaining cancer. Your doctor orders the test.","body":"Tempus runs genomic tests on cancer: tumor and blood profiling, inherited-risk panels, and tests that watch for leftover disease. Your doctor picks and orders the test.\n\n## What they do\n\n- **Tumor profiling.** xT CDx sequences 648 genes in tumor tissue and compares them with a normal blood or saliva sample, which separates tumor changes from inherited ones. xR adds RNA to find fusions.\n- **Blood profiling.** xF and xF+ use a blood draw. If there isn't enough tissue, an xT CDx order can switch to xF+.\n- **Monitoring.** xM tests look for traces of cancer in the blood after treatment (MRD).\n- **Inherited risk.** CancerNext panels use blood or saliva.\n\nxT CDx is an FDA companion diagnostic for certain colorectal cancer drugs. Tempus also runs trial matching with cancer centers, including its TIME Trial program.\n\n## Who it's for\n\nPeople with cancer whose doctors want genomic testing, monitoring or hereditary testing.\n\n## How to start\n\nYour doctor orders it through Tempus's portal, a paper form or the electronic health record.\n\n## Cost and insurance\n\nAs of October 2026, any U.S. patient can apply for Tempus's financial assistance, whatever their insurance. You get a decision right away, including your maximum out-of-pocket cost. It's based on household income, size and other circumstances.\n\nTempus's posted transparency policy lists a $295 self-pay price, and says Tempus contacts you if you'll likely owe more than that. Original Medicare and Medicaid patients can't self-pay and typically owe $0. Results aren't processed until you pay or show proof of insurance. I'd confirm the current price for your test with Tempus billing first.\n\n## Questions I would ask\n\n1. Tissue, blood, or both?\n2. Should we add RNA testing for fusions?\n3. Will this show inherited findings, and who explains them?\n4. What will I owe, and should I apply for assistance now?\n5. Can I get the full report and raw data?\n\n## Similar companies on this site\n\n[Caris](/companies/caris-life-sciences/) and [BostonGene](/companies/bostongene/) also profile tumors. BostonGene, like Tempus, compares the tumor with a normal sample. [Guardant Health](/companies/guardant-health/) is known for blood testing. See [Get the right tumor testing](/resources/tumor-testing/) and [Find trials worth asking about](/resources/clinical-trials/).\n\n## Contacts\n\n- Website: [tempus.com/patients](https://www.tempus.com/patients/)\n- Financial assistance: [access.tempus.com](https://access.tempus.com/)\n- Billing and coverage: [Transparency policy](https://www.tempus.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Tempus-NP_Transparency-Policy.pdf) · billing@tempus.com\n- Phone: 800-739-4137 · Customer Success 312-598-9961 (call or text)\n- Email: patients@tempus.com · support@tempus.com","topics":["tumor-testing"],"capabilities":["tumor-testing","blood-monitoring"],"sources":[{"id":"tempus-patients","label":"Tempus: oncology patient resources","url":"https://www.tempus.com/patients/","publisher":"Tempus","checkedAt":"2026-10-22","supports":"Disease monitoring (MRD), biomarker testing (xT CDx, xT, xR, xF, xF+), hereditary testing (CancerNext); your doctor orders the test; financial assistance for all U.S. patients; contacts.","type":"official"},{"id":"tempus-portfolio","label":"Tempus: oncology test portfolio","url":"https://www.tempus.com/oncology/genomic-profiling/","publisher":"Tempus","checkedAt":"2026-10-22","supports":"Full test menu including hereditary panels, MRD assays, xT CDx 648-gene panel; ordering via Tempus Hub/EHR; clinical trial matching programs; financial assistance steps.","type":"official"},{"id":"tempus-xtcdx","label":"Tempus xT CDx and xR","url":"https://www.tempus.com/solutions/xt-cdx/","publisher":"Tempus","checkedAt":"2026-10-22","supports":"648-gene tumor plus matched normal test; xR RNA-seq for fusions; auto-conversion to xF+ if tissue is insufficient; ordering options; financial assistance.","type":"official"},{"id":"tempus-pricing","label":"Tempus transparency policy","url":"https://www.tempus.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Tempus-NP_Transparency-Policy.pdf","publisher":"Tempus","checkedAt":"2026-10-22","supports":"Self-pay price $295; benefits check and contact if expected cost exceeds $295; Medicare/Medicaid rules; payment or proof of insurance before results are processed.","type":"official"},{"id":"fda-cdx","label":"FDA: list of cleared or approved companion diagnostic devices","url":"https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/in-vitro-diagnostics/list-cleared-or-approved-companion-diagnostic-devices-in-vitro-and-imaging-tools","publisher":"U.S. Food and Drug Administration","checkedAt":"2026-10-22","supports":"Lists Tempus xT CDx (P210011, 04/28/2023) as a companion diagnostic for KRAS/NRAS wild-type colorectal cancer therapies.","type":"official"}],"applicability":"For people with cancer whose doctors want genomic profiling, MRD monitoring or hereditary testing. Your doctor orders the test.","limitations":"Financial assistance is for U.S. patients; international patients can use self-pay. Confirm the price for your specific test with Tempus billing before testing.","disclosure":{"type":"none","text":"I have no financial or business relationship with Tempus."},"reviewedAt":"2026-10-22","relatedIds":["47f21cb6-8618-4ac9-8677-d670b06a4637","2614018f-a950-44fe-a445-09fc42bd6342","eedb734b-9696-4e66-bf29-5c63cbf6a3ba","f7221927-6b87-4be3-9a7c-906768a192a5","bcbf518f-872e-434c-b031-3d6c266ceaa4"],"assetIds":["a03a54cf-16f9-4bec-a025-92fdcbd8bb74","dc551349-df1f-4b3e-b87d-da900f3f4290"],"relatedX":[],"website":"https://www.tempus.com/","serviceStatus":"available","access":{"label":"Information for patients","url":"https://www.tempus.com/patients/"},"facts":[{"label":"Tests","value":"Tumor profiling (xT CDx, xT, xR RNA), blood profiling (xF, xF+), MRD monitoring and hereditary cancer panels.","sourceIds":["tempus-patients","tempus-portfolio"]},{"label":"Samples","value":"Tumor tissue with a matched normal blood or saliva sample for xT CDx; blood for xF and MRD; blood or saliva for hereditary tests.","sourceIds":["tempus-xtcdx","tempus-patients"]},{"label":"FDA status","value":"xT CDx is FDA-approved, with companion diagnostic claims for colorectal cancer.","sourceIds":["fda-cdx","tempus-xtcdx"]},{"label":"Ordering","value":"Your doctor orders through Tempus Hub, a paper form or the electronic health record.","sourceIds":["tempus-xtcdx","tempus-patients"]},{"label":"Cost","value":"As of October 2026: posted self-pay price $295 (not for Original Medicare or Medicaid patients, who typically owe $0). Any U.S. patient can apply for financial assistance at access.tempus.com.","sourceIds":["tempus-pricing","tempus-patients"]}],"id":"5c806cbb-c7b3-443a-8a44-e0e6c559a196","kind":"company","slug":"tempus","revision":"f829e1b5-e6cc-4543-9838-0d698b29de29","canonicalUrl":"https://kevinwimer.com/companies/tempus/","publishedAt":"2026-10-25T03:12:58.825Z","updatedAt":"2026-10-25T03:12:58.825Z","previewOnly":false,"logoAssetId":"a03a54cf-16f9-4bec-a025-92fdcbd8bb74","logoBackground":"light","logoSource":{"pageUrl":"https://www.tempus.com/","assetUrl":"https://media.tempus.com/tempus_logo_0a718fd2a0/tempus_logo_0a718fd2a0.svg?v=1767991618296","checkedAt":"2026-10-25T02:36:24.013Z"},"shareImageAssetId":"dc551349-df1f-4b3e-b87d-da900f3f4290"}