Feb 27 2024Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Even as it's become clear that an inherited susceptibility to some cancers is more common than once thought, genetic testing of family members of cancer patients hasn't increased as much as experts had hoped.
We know that 5 to 10 percent of all cancers are linked to inherited genetic variations. We know the specific variants linked to those cancers. And we know that cancer incidence and mortality can be reduced by identifying people who carry those variants and intervening to lower their cancer risk or closely monitor them to detect cancer at its earliest stages when it is most treatable. But we also know that not enough people who could benefit from genetic testing are being tested.
"We need new methods to make testing more available and increase awareness of its benefits," Syngal remarks. "The goal of this study was to assess how remote genetic education programs that people could access at home, online, might impact the decision to have genetic testing." Related StoriesAfter completing the program, 541 participants, representing 90% of the entire study group, elected to undergo testing for inherited variations in PDAC-linked genes – opting to receive a saliva-based genetic testing kit shipped to their homes that they would then use to send a sample by mail to a testing center.
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