Pancreatic cancer is a deadly disease. Some patients develop pancreatic cancer because of an inherited change in their DNA (called a mutation). Patients with an inherited mutation may benefit from personalized medicine and their relatives may benefit from cancer screening and prevention strategies. However, there are long wait times for patients to be seen by a genetics doctor and counsellor, and many patients do not get tested for an inherited mutation. In this study, we offered genetic testing to pancreatic cancer patients directly in the cancer clinic. We showed that by using this approach, we could improve access to genetic testing and expedite return of genetic testing results to pancreatic cancer patients. However, more work is needed to increase genetic testing among the relatives of pancreatic cancer patients with an inherited mutation. (By Dr. Yifan Wang, https://jmg.bmj.com/content/early/2021/09/23/jmedgenet-2021-108054 )

The Quebec Pancreas Cancer Study (QPCS) is a prospective clinic-based research registry, with an accompanying biospecimen repository, that enrols pancreas cancer patients and their relatives. The QPCS uses an integrated, in-clinic genetic counselling and genetic testing strategy to provide patients with expedited access to genetic testing. Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT04104230