Consideration for Multigene Panel Testing Outside of Cancer-Specific Genetic Testing.

Abstract

Objectives: To assess the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines for the care of patients with malignancies and capture the expected number of patients with pathogenic variants (PVs) linked to hereditary cancers. This research assessed how well the NCCN Genetic/Familial High-Risk Assessment: Breast, Ovarian, and Pancreatic, version 3.2023, and Genetic/Familial High-Risk Assessment: Colorectal, version 2.2022, guidelines identify patients with cancer-related PVs.

Sample & setting: 116 health records of patients aged 18 years or older who completed an 84-multigene cancer panel study in a hospital in the midwestern United States were reviewed.

Methods & variables: The hospital system's cancer risk assessment clinical database was used to acquire patient information and test results from patients with PVs. These data were evaluated against NCCN guidelines to determine whether testing guidelines were met.

Results: There were 38 participants who met NCCN testing guidelines for hereditary breast cancer, 24 who met Lynch syndrome criteria, and 17 who had a single PV but did not meet any of the testing criteria.

Implications for nursing: This retrospective chart review verifies the need for multigene panel testing. There were 17 patients with PVs who did not meet NCCN guidelines for testing.