Factors Impacting Intent to Share Multigenic Cancer Testing Results in a Community Hospital Setting

Multi-gene, multi-cancer, hereditary cancer risk screenings may be useful in cancer prevention and treatment, not only for cancer patients but also for patients' family members. If genetic cancer screening is to have the widest possible benefit, it must be extended into diverse cancer care settings that serve diverse patient communities, providing cancer patients and their relatives with individualized cancer risk evaluations. Little research, to date, has examined the impact of extending multigenic cancer screening into diverse settings. Without empirical data characterizing the support needs of cancer patients and their family members, we may not adequately satisfy the needs of all patients and risk exacerbating existing disparities in cancer care and outcomes.

We examined patient perspectives on the sharing of genetic results with at-risk family members by surveying a racially diverse sample of cancer patients receiving a multi-gene, multi-cancer risk screen in a community hospital setting.

In a survey of 230 cancer patients, we found that intent to share results with family members was high but varied across family member types. More respondents planned to disclose results to at least one sister (82.5%) compared to at least one brother (73.1%). Over one-fourth of participants (27.4%) were either uncertain about sharing or intended to withhold their genomic screening results from at least one at-risk family member eligible for cascade testing. Participants were more likely to withhold their results from a sibling than from a child. Furthermore, intent to share across all family member types was lower if probands failed to identify at least one benefit to sharing.

Understanding factors associated with decisions to share results with at-risk relatives in diverse patient populations can help clinicians support cascade genetic cancer screenings in diverse communities and settings.