Abstract B15: Communicating information about personalised genomic risk of melanoma to family, friends, and health professionals

Abstract

Background: It is anticipated that cancer risk prediction tools, including those with genomic risk information, will increasingly be used to communicate personalised cancer risk to the public. Receiving information on personal genomic risk of cancer might encourage conversations about cancer prevention and early detection with family, friends and health professionals, but few studies have examined this. Aims: To explore participant communication about personal genomic risk of melanoma to family, friends and health professionals, using a mixed-methods approach, and to examine results according to participants9 genomic risk category (low, average, high). Methods: We conducted a study examining the impact of giving information on personalised genomic risk of melanoma to the public. Participants (n=101) received a personalised booklet presenting their melanoma genomic risk based on variants in 21 genes, together with telephone-based genetic counselling and generic educational materials. They completed a questionnaire 3-months after receiving their personal genomic risk of melanoma. To further contextualise these data, we conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with 30 participants. Results: Participants9 communication with health professionals according to melanoma genomic risk category was 41% for high-risk, 16% for average-risk and 13% for low-risk (P=0.02). Communication with family was 83% for high-risk, 65% for average-risk, 79% for low-risk participants (P=0.19); and communication with friends was 55% for high-risk, 43% for average-risk, 54% for low-risk participants (P=0.49). Preliminary thematic analysis found that preventive behaviours and early detection were raised by participants in discussions with family and doctors. Reasons for not communicating genomic risk included: concern about causing worry and not feeling a need to share the information. Conclusions: Genomic risk information prompted conversations about melanoma risk and prevention, most frequently with family. When stratified by genomic risk, comparable numbers of participants discussed their genomic risk with family and friends, but communication with health professionals was more frequent among participants in a high-risk category. Citation Format: Anne E. Cust, Amelia K. Smit, David Espinoza, Keogh Louise, Phyllis N. Butow, Kate Dunlop, Judy Kirk, Ainsley J. Newson. Communicating information about personalised genomic risk of melanoma to family, friends, and health professionals. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Improving Cancer Risk Prediction for Prevention and Early Detection; Nov 16-19, 2016; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2017;26(5 Suppl):Abstract nr B15.