Currently, fewer than 1 in 5 women with breast cancer are eligible for NHS testing for inherited gene changes. This information can inform treatment of breast cancer, as well as enabling patients and their family members to better understand their future risks of developing cancer. One of the main limiting factors is availability of expert clinical staff to discuss the implications of testing and the results. This paper presents a study of a new digital ‘BRCA-DIRECT’ pathway for pre-test information, consent and return of results, which is supported by a genetic counsellor specialist telephone hotline. The findings from the pilot phase of 150 women offer preliminary evidence that this digital pathway is feasible, safe and acceptable to breast cancer patients. (By Bethany Torr, https://jmg.bmj.com/content/early/2022/07/22/jmg-2022-108655 )
A digital pathway for genetic testing in UK NHS cancer patients: BRCA-DIRECT study internal pilot
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