Many women diagnosed with epithelial ovarian cancer do not access genetic testing for BRCA1/2 mutations. The reasons for this are complex but may in part be due to lack of awareness or an over-complicated referral pathway. The Genetic Testing in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer (GTEOC) study looked at a streamlined approach led by Oncology and coordinated by Genetic services. Women did not receive formal genetic counselling and were only seen by Genetics if a mutation or variant of unknown significance was identified. Results showed this model to be feasible, cost-effective and acceptable to participants. It therefore offers new approach to increase test uptake without requiring additional resources. (By Dr. Marc Tischkowitz, http://jmg.bmj.com/content/early/2016/05/12/jmedgenet-2016-103902 )
Inga Plaskocinska, Dr Marc Tischkowitz, and Hannah Shipman.