Grant Details
Grant Number: |
3U01CA254832-04S2 Interpret this number |
Primary Investigator: |
Pal, Tuya |
Organization: |
Vanderbilt University Medical Center |
Project Title: |
Expanding Genetic Risk Assessment to Underserved Populations: a Cancer Registry-Based Approach |
Fiscal Year: |
2023 |
Abstract
Abstract
Integrating genetic counseling and testing services for hereditary cancer into clinical care is critical to provide
evidence-based cancer prevention and treatment to high-risk populations. Yet, only a small proportion of
patients who meet guidelines receive genetic counseling and/or testing, with even lower rates among Black
and, rural populations. System-level barriers to access genetic testing, coupled with a workforce shortage of
genetic counselors, contribute to the low uptake of genetic counseling and testing services. Through our
proposed research, we will test a strategy to streamline genetic counseling and testing services for Black and
rural cancer survivors, to improve access to genetic counseling and testing. The overarching goals of the
supplement are to evaluate and examine the dissemination of an existing web-based genetic education tool in
a population of Black and/or rural cancer patients recruited through the Tennessee state cancer registry to our
parent study, who are eligible for but have not yet had genetic testing. We hypothesize that: 1) streamlining
genetic counseling through web-based pre-test education will result in significant knowledge gains, and the
majority of individuals will feel informed and empowered to make choices about genetic testing; and 2) we will
be able to identify different patterns of facilitators and barriers that lead (or do not lead) to accessing genetic
counseling and/or testing through use of a novel methodology (i.e., coincidence analysis). We will recruit at
least 50 patients with breast, colorectal, endometrial, or prostate cancer who meet current practice guidelines
for genetic testing for inherited cancer based on their personal cancer diagnosis. The overarching goals of our
effort are to guide the development of sustainable system-level solutions to improve the delivery of genetic
counseling services to enhance appropriate testing among cancer patients who meet guidelines yet have not
pursued testing, leveraging a public health infrastructure (i.e., the state cancer registry). This transdisciplinary
effort to reach diverse cancer patients will inform policy and the development of scalable models for delivering
evidence-based genomic care across diverse populations and clinical settings.
Publications
None. See parent grant details.