Myriad has reported that results from a recent study at community oncology practices indicate that 41% of patients receiving care were appropriate assessment candidates for genetic testing for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome based on BRCA mutations.
The article, entitled ‘Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Testing Integration and Outcomes within Community Oncology Practices,’ was published in the February 2010 issue of the journal Community Oncology.
The study has been designed to assess the percentage of patients who meet professional society guidelines and would benefit from genetic risk assessment in the community oncology practice setting and underscores the importance of physicians integrating genetic testing processes into their practices.
The study examined 1,919 patients, including a wide variety of ethnicities, who are receiving care for breast or ovarian cancer in 11 community clinical oncology practice sites. Patients were identified as potential candidates for BRCA testing if they met any of the following personal or family history criteria like personal diagnosis of breast cancer below age 50, personal history of ovarian cancer at any age, personal history of male breast cancer.
The other criteria include existence of bilateral breast and/or breast and ovarian cancer in the same individual, multiple close family members with breast and/or ovarian cancer, existence of a related family member with a known BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation, or Ashkenazi Jewish descent with breast or ovarian cancer at any age. The study found that 41% of the 1,919 patients met the professional society hereditary cancer risk criteria.
Mark Capone, president of Myriad Genetic Laboratories, said: “This multicenter study is the largest of its kind and demonstrates that a high percentage of breast and ovarian cancer patients in non-academic clinical practices need to be evaluated for hereditary breast/ovarian cancer testing.
“Comprehensive approaches to integrate patient identification and perform BRACAnalysis testing in appropriate patients helps doctors deliver potentially life-saving information to individuals and families at risk for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer.”