Addressing gaps in healthcare provider knowledge regarding germline testing for prostate cancer through development and testing of a virtual genetics board

Stacy Loeb; Heather H Cheng; Channing J Paller; Emily Weg; Jennifer Johnson; Laura Gross; Scott W Keith; Jessica Russo; Feighanne Hathaway; Adrian Rivera; Veda N Giri

doi:10.1038/s41391-023-00778-9

Addressing gaps in healthcare provider knowledge regarding germline testing for prostate cancer through development and testing of a virtual genetics board

Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis. 2024 Jan 3. doi: 10.1038/s41391-023-00778-9. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Stacy Loeb¹, Heather H Cheng², Channing J Paller³, Emily Weg⁴, Jennifer Johnson⁵, Laura Gross⁶, Scott W Keith⁷, Jessica Russo⁸, Feighanne Hathaway⁹, Adrian Rivera¹⁰, Veda N Giri⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Urology and Population Health, New York University and Manhattan Veterans Affairs, New York, NY, USA. [email protected].
² Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
³ Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MA, USA.
⁴ Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
⁵ Department of Medical Oncology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
⁶ Yale School of Medicine and Yale Cancer Center, New Haven, CT, USA.
⁷ Division of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Sidney Kimmel Medical Colllege, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
⁸ MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper University Health Care, Camden, NJ, USA.
⁹ Hematology/Oncology, Biological Sciences Division, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
¹⁰ Department of Urology and Population Health, New York University and Manhattan Veterans Affairs, New York, NY, USA.

PMID: 38172199
DOI: 10.1038/s41391-023-00778-9

Abstract

Background: Germline testing is important in prostate cancer and evaluation can be complex.

Methods: We instituted a monthly multi-disciplinary virtual genetics tumor board (7/2021-3/2022). Participants and panelists were surveyed on usefulness and acceptability.

Results: 101 participants attended a session, and 77 follow-up surveys were completed. Over 90% participants and 100% panelists endorsed usefulness of the case discussions and usability of the technology. The majority felt it provided new information they will use.

Conclusions: A multidisciplinary genetics board was successfully developed to address complexity in prostate cancer genetics. The virtual platform may enhance dissemination of expertise where there are regional gaps.

Abstract

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