Personalized support increases genetic testing for hereditary cancers among immediate family members
First-degree relatives—parents, siblings and children—of cancer patients who received personalized support and navigation services throughout the genetic testing process were significantly more likely to receive genetic testing themselves. Nearly half of those relatives carried a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation associated with a higher risk of cancer, according to a new study by researchers at The…
A new study from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reveals that providing personalized support and navigation services to first-degree relatives of cancer patients significantly boosts genetic testing rates. Family members who received assistance throughout the genetic testing process were 22 percentage points more likely to undergo testing compared to those who received standard care.
Within six months, genetic testing uptake rose from 51% to 73% among at-risk relatives who received personalized support, according to the research published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. This strategy, known as cascade genetic testing, helps identify inherited cancer risks in family members who carry a cancer-related genetic mutation.
The study, led by Dr. Roni Wilke, emphasizes that simply informing relatives of their inherited cancer risk is insufficient; they need guidance through the testing process to achieve higher utilization rates. After 18 months, 90% of relatives in the facilitated testing group completed testing, with 46% of the 206 tested relatives carrying a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation associated with an increased cancer risk.
The findings highlight the potential of personalized support programs to improve health outcomes across entire families by encouraging early intervention for hereditary cancers.
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