scholarly journals Feasibility and Assessment of a Cascade Traceback Screening Program (FACTS): Protocol for a Multisite Study to Implement and Assess an Ovarian Cancer Traceback Cascade Testing Program

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 543
Author(s):  
Anna DiNucci ◽  
Nora B. Henrikson ◽  
M. Cabell Jonas ◽  
Sundeep Basra ◽  
Paula Blasi ◽  
...  

Ovarian cancer (OVCA) patients may carry genes conferring cancer risk to biological family; however, fewer than one-quarter of patients receive genetic testing. “Traceback” cascade testing —outreach to potential probands and relatives—is a possible solution. This paper outlines a funded study (U01 CA240747-01A1) seeking to determine a Traceback program’s feasibility, acceptability, effectiveness, and costs. This is a multisite prospective observational feasibility study across three integrated health systems. Informed by the Conceptual Model for Implementation Research, we will outline, implement, and evaluate the outcomes of an OVCA Traceback program. We will use standard legal research methodology to review genetic privacy statutes; engage key stakeholders in qualitative interviews to design communication strategies; employ descriptive statistics and regression analyses to evaluate the site differences in genetic testing and the OVCA Traceback testing; and assess program outcomes at the proband, family member, provider, system, and population levels. This study aims to determine a Traceback program’s feasibility and acceptability in a real-world context. It will account for the myriad factors affecting implementation, including legal issues, organizational- and individual-level barriers and facilitators, communication issues, and program costs. Project results will inform how health care providers and systems can develop effective, practical, and sustainable Traceback programs.

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (11) ◽  
pp. 1222-1245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Panagiotis A. Konstantinopoulos ◽  
Barbara Norquist ◽  
Christina Lacchetti ◽  
Deborah Armstrong ◽  
Rachel N. Grisham ◽  
...  

PURPOSE To provide recommendations on genetic and tumor testing for women diagnosed with epithelial ovarian cancer based on available evidence and expert consensus. METHODS A literature search and prospectively defined study selection criteria sought systematic reviews, meta-analyses, randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and comparative observational studies published from 2007 through 2019. Guideline recommendations were based on the review of the evidence. RESULTS The systematic review identified 19 eligible studies. The evidence consisted of systematic reviews of observational data, consensus guidelines, and RCTs. RECOMMENDATIONS All women diagnosed with epithelial ovarian cancer should have germline genetic testing for BRCA1/2 and other ovarian cancer susceptibility genes. In women who do not carry a germline pathogenic or likely pathogenic BRCA1/2 variant, somatic tumor testing for BRCA1/2 pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants should be performed. Women with identified germline or somatic pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants in BRCA1/2 genes should be offered treatments that are US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved in the upfront and the recurrent setting. Women diagnosed with clear cell, endometrioid, or mucinous ovarian cancer should be offered somatic tumor testing for mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR). Women with identified dMMR should be offered FDA-approved treatment based on these results. Genetic evaluations should be conducted in conjunction with health care providers familiar with the diagnosis and management of hereditary cancer. First- or second-degree blood relatives of a patient with ovarian cancer with a known germline pathogenic cancer susceptibility gene variant should be offered individualized genetic risk evaluation, counseling, and genetic testing. Clinical decision making should not be made based on a variant of uncertain significance. Women with epithelial ovarian cancer should have testing at the time of diagnosis.


10.2196/26264 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. e26264
Author(s):  
Sue Kim ◽  
Monica Aceti ◽  
Vasiliki Baroutsou ◽  
Nicole Bürki ◽  
Maria Caiata-Zufferey ◽  
...  

Background In hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC), family communication of genetic test results is essential for cascade genetic screening, that is, identifying and testing blood relatives of known mutation carriers to determine whether they also carry the pathogenic variant, and to propose preventive and clinical management options. However, up to 50% of blood relatives are unaware of relevant genetic information, suggesting that potential benefits of genetic testing are not communicated effectively within family networks. Technology can facilitate communication and genetic education within HBOC families. Objective The aims of this study are to develop the K-CASCADE (Korean–Cancer Predisposition Cascade Genetic Testing) cohort in Korea by expanding an infrastructure developed by the CASCADE (Cancer Predisposition Cascade Genetic Testing) Consortium in Switzerland; develop a digital health intervention to support the communication of cancer predisposition for Swiss and Korean HBOC families, based on linguistic and cultural adaptation of the Family Gene Toolkit; evaluate its efficacy on primary (family communication of genetic results and cascade testing) and secondary (psychological distress, genetic literacy, active coping, and decision making) outcomes; and explore its translatability using the reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance framework. Methods The digital health intervention will be available in French, German, Italian, Korean, and English and can be accessed via the web, mobile phone, or tablet (ie, device-agnostic). K-CASCADE cohort of Korean HBOC mutation carriers and relatives will be based on the CASCADE infrastructure. Narrative data collected through individual interviews or mini focus groups from 20 to 24 HBOC family members per linguistic region and 6-10 health care providers involved in genetic services will identify the local cultures and context, and inform the content of the tailored messages. The efficacy of the digital health intervention against a comparison website will be assessed in a randomized trial with 104 HBOC mutation carriers (52 in each study arm). The translatability of the digital health intervention will be assessed using survey data collected from HBOC families and health care providers. Results Funding was received in October 2019. It is projected that data collection will be completed by January 2023 and results will be published in fall 2023. Conclusions This study addresses the continuum of translational research, from developing an international research infrastructure and adapting an existing digital health intervention to testing its efficacy in a randomized controlled trial and exploring its translatability using an established framework. Adapting existing interventions, rather than developing new ones, takes advantage of previous valid experiences without duplicating efforts. Culturally sensitive web-based interventions that enhance family communication and understanding of genetic cancer risk are timely. This collaboration creates a research infrastructure between Switzerland and Korea that can be scaled up to cover other hereditary cancer syndromes. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04214210; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04214210 and CRiS KCT0005643; https://cris.nih.go.kr/cris/ International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) PRR1-10.2196/26264


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sue Kim ◽  
Monica Aceti ◽  
Vasiliki Baroutsou ◽  
Nicole Bürki ◽  
Maria Caiata-Zufferey ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND In hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC), family communication of genetic test results is essential for cascade genetic screening, that is, identifying and testing blood relatives of known mutation carriers to determine whether they also carry the pathogenic variant, and to propose preventive and clinical management options. However, up to 50% of blood relatives are unaware of relevant genetic information, suggesting that potential benefits of genetic testing are not communicated effectively within family networks. Technology can facilitate communication and genetic education within HBOC families. OBJECTIVE The aims of this study are to develop the K-CASCADE (Korean–Cancer Predisposition Cascade Genetic Testing) cohort in Korea by expanding an infrastructure developed by the CASCADE (Cancer Predisposition Cascade Genetic Testing) Consortium in Switzerland; develop a digital health intervention to support the communication of cancer predisposition for Swiss and Korean HBOC families, based on linguistic and cultural adaptation of the Family Gene Toolkit; evaluate its efficacy on primary (family communication of genetic results and cascade testing) and secondary (psychological distress, genetic literacy, active coping, and decision making) outcomes; and explore its translatability using the reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance framework. METHODS The digital health intervention will be available in French, German, Italian, Korean, and English and can be accessed via the web, mobile phone, or tablet (ie, device-agnostic). K-CASCADE cohort of Korean HBOC mutation carriers and relatives will be based on the CASCADE infrastructure. Narrative data collected through individual interviews or mini focus groups from 20 to 24 HBOC family members per linguistic region and 6-10 health care providers involved in genetic services will identify the local cultures and context, and inform the content of the tailored messages. The efficacy of the digital health intervention against a comparison website will be assessed in a randomized trial with 104 HBOC mutation carriers (52 in each study arm). The translatability of the digital health intervention will be assessed using survey data collected from HBOC families and health care providers. RESULTS Funding was received in October 2019. It is projected that data collection will be completed by January 2023 and results will be published in fall 2023. CONCLUSIONS This study addresses the continuum of translational research, from developing an international research infrastructure and adapting an existing digital health intervention to testing its efficacy in a randomized controlled trial and exploring its translatability using an established framework. Adapting existing interventions, rather than developing new ones, takes advantage of previous valid experiences without duplicating efforts. Culturally sensitive web-based interventions that enhance family communication and understanding of genetic cancer risk are timely. This collaboration creates a research infrastructure between Switzerland and Korea that can be scaled up to cover other hereditary cancer syndromes. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04214210; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04214210 and CRiS KCT0005643; https://cris.nih.go.kr/cris/ INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT PRR1-10.2196/26264


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (05) ◽  
pp. 755-763
Author(s):  
Shibani Kanungo ◽  
Jayne Barr ◽  
Parker Crutchfield ◽  
Casey Fealko ◽  
Neelkamal Soares

Abstract Background Advances in technology and access to expanded genetic testing have resulted in more children and adolescents receiving genetic testing for diagnostic and prognostic purposes. With increased adoption of the electronic health record (EHR), genetic testing is increasingly resulted in the EHR. However, this leads to challenges in both storage and disclosure of genetic results, particularly when parental results are combined with child genetic results. Privacy and Ethical Considerations Accidental disclosure and erroneous documentation of genetic results can occur due to the nature of their presentation in the EHR and documentation processes by clinicians. Genetic information is both sensitive and identifying, and requires a considered approach to both timing and extent of disclosure to families and access to clinicians. Methods This article uses an interdisciplinary approach to explore ethical issues surrounding privacy, confidentiality of genetic data, and access to genetic results by health care providers and family members, and provides suggestions in a stakeholder format for best practices on this topic for clinicians and informaticians. Suggestions are made for clinicians on documenting and accessing genetic information in the EHR, and on collaborating with genetics specialists and disclosure of genetic results to families. Additional considerations for families including ethics around results of adolescents and special scenarios for blended families and foster minors are also provided. Finally, administrators and informaticians are provided best practices on both institutional processes and EHR architecture, including security and access control, with emphasis on the minimum necessary paradigm and parent/patient engagement and control of the use and disclosure of data. Conclusion The authors hope that these best practices energize specialty societies to craft practice guidelines on genetic information management in the EHR with interdisciplinary input that addresses all stakeholder needs.


2002 ◽  
Vol 20 (22) ◽  
pp. 4485-4492 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy Y. Chen ◽  
Judy E. Garber ◽  
Suzanne Higham ◽  
Katherine A. Schneider ◽  
Katie B. Davis ◽  
...  

PURPOSE: BRCA1/2 genetic testing has been commercially available in the United States since 1996. Most published reports described BRCA1/2 testing as research studies at large academic centers, but less is known about testing in the community. This study evaluates the process and early outcomes of BRCA1/2 genetic testing as a clinical service in the community setting. METHODS: Surveys were mailed to women in the United States whose health care providers ordered BRCA1/2 genetic testing from Myriad Genetic Laboratories from August 1998 through July 2000. Women tested at 149 large academic centers were excluded. Main outcome measures were demographic characteristics, recall of and satisfaction with the genetic testing process, and likelihood of pursuing cancer prevention strategies. RESULTS: Among the 646 respondents, 414 (64%) had a personal history of cancer and 505 (78%) had at least one first-degree relative with breast and/or ovarian cancer. Most subjects (82%) recalled discussions of informed consent before testing (median time, 30 minutes). Genetic results were conveyed during an office visit (57%), by telephone (39%), or by mail (3%). More than 75% of respondents were “very satisfied with the counseling received.” Cancer-free subjects with a germline mutation were more likely to consider prevention strategies after receiving the genetic results. CONCLUSION: Virtually all respondents had a personal and/or family history of breast/ovarian cancer. Although pretest and posttest communications were not standardized, overall satisfaction with clinical breast cancer genetic testing was high. Additional follow-up will provide data on future cancer prevention practices and cancer incidence.


Author(s):  
Safa Elkefi ◽  
Avishek Choudhury ◽  
Olga Strachna ◽  
Onur Asan

PURPOSE Early detection of cancer risk is essential as it is associated with a higher chance of survival, more successful treatment, and improved quality of life. Genetic testing helps at-risk patients estimate the likelihood of developing cancer in a lifetime. This study aims to indentify the factors (perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, and self-efficacy) that impact one's decision to take the genetic test. METHODS We examined the impacts of different factors of the health belief model on the engagement of patients in genetic testing using data from the National Cancer Institute's 2020 cross-sectional nationally representative data published in 2021. Complete surveys were answered by 3,865 participants (weighted population size = 253,815,197). All estimates were weighted to be nationally representative of the US population using the jackknife weighting method for parameter estimation. We used multivariable logistic regression to test our hypotheses for patients who have taken the genetic test for cancer risk detection. We adjusted the multivariate model for age, education, income, race, sex, cancer history, familial cancer history, and education. RESULTS We tested five hypotheses using the health belief model. Respondents who had genetic testing were more likely to rely on their health care providers and genetic counselors to make their decisions. Respondents who had genetic tests also reported less reliability on other sources than doctors: for the internet and social media (odds ratio = 0.33; P < .001) and for journals and magazines (odds ratio = 0.48; P = .007). CONCLUSION The findings show that patients generally rely on suggestions from their health care providers and counselors in genetic testing decisions. These findings also indicate that health care providers play a critical role in helping patients decide whether to use genetic testing to detect cancer risk in the early stages.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Farahnaz Amini ◽  
Kok Wah Yee ◽  
Siew Chin Soh ◽  
Abdulateef Alhadeethi ◽  
Roya Amini ◽  
...  

Purpose Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of complex neurodevelopmental disorders with uncertain etiology. Evidence shows that genetic testing can explain about 20% of cases. This study aims to assess the level of awareness and perception of medical genetic services among Malaysian parents with ASD children. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional survey using an interviewer-administered questionnaire was done among 111 parents of children with ASD from August 2017 to September 2019 in two clinics in Malaysia. Findings A majority of children with ASD (80.20%) were male and diagnosed at the age of 3–4 years old (47.80%). When the autistic child was born, most mothers and fathers were aged 26–30 (40.50%) and 31–35 years old (42.30%), respectively. Another child with ASD in nuclear and extended families was reported for 11.70% and 13.50%, respectively. Only 24.30% have seen a professional genetic consultant, and 19.8% have done genetic testing for affected children. The mean score of awareness of genetic services for ASD was 2.48 ± 3.30. Having medical insurance and another child with ASD in the nuclear family was significantly associated with a higher level of awareness (p = 0.01 and p < 0.001, respectively). Most of the participants have a positive perception of these services. Originality/value Regardless of demographic factors, participants have poor awareness of genetic services for ASD, likely because the primary physician did not recommend it upon diagnosis. Increasing health-care providers’ knowledge about the current potential of genetic testing for ASD and educational campaigns for the public are critical components of using available genetic tests to improve ASD management.


2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 582
Author(s):  
EmmanuelObiora Izuka ◽  
ObinnaChinedu Nwafor ◽  
JosephTochukwu Enebe ◽  
IfeanyichukwuJude Ofor ◽  
ChineloElizabeth Obiora-Izuka ◽  
...  

Cancers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Richardson ◽  
Hae Jung Min ◽  
Quan Hong ◽  
Katie Compton ◽  
Sze Wing Mung ◽  
...  

New streamlined models for genetic counseling and genetic testing have recently been developed in response to increasing demand for cancer genetic services. To improve access and decrease wait times, we implemented an oncology clinic-based genetic testing model for breast and ovarian cancer patients in a publicly funded population-based health care setting in British Columbia, Canada. This observational study evaluated the oncology clinic-based model as compared to a traditional one-on-one approach with a genetic counsellor using a multi-gene panel testing approach. The primary objectives were to evaluate wait times and patient reported outcome measures between the oncology clinic-based and traditional genetic counselling models. Secondary objectives were to describe oncologist and genetic counsellor acceptability and experience. Wait times from referral to return of genetic testing results were assessed for 400 patients with breast and/or ovarian cancer undergoing genetic testing for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer from June 2015 to August 2017. Patient wait times from referral to return of results were significantly shorter with the oncology clinic-based model as compared to the traditional model (403 vs. 191 days; p < 0.001). A subset of 148 patients (traditional n = 99; oncology clinic-based n = 49) completed study surveys to assess uncertainty, distress, and patient experience. Responses were similar between both models. Healthcare providers survey responses indicated they believed the oncology clinic-based model was acceptable and a positive experience. Oncology clinic-based genetic testing using a multi-gene panel approach and post-test counselling with a genetic counsellor significantly reduced wait times and is acceptable for patients and health care providers.


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