Knowledge of Palliative Care in Men and Women Diagnosed With Metastatic Breast Cancer.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate knowledge of Palliative Care (PC) and the impact of systemic and patient-related factors on the use of PC in a diverse population of men and women diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer.

Methodology: A telephone administered survey was used with patients receiving treatment at a Cancer Center in an urban area of the Northeast US. Descriptive statistics and chi square analysis were used.

Outcomes of the "BRCA Quality Improvement Dissemination Program": An initiative to improve patient receipt of cancer genetics services at five health systems.

Objective: A quality improvement initiative (QII) was conducted with five community-based health systems' oncology care centers (sites A-E). The QII aimed to increase referrals, genetic counseling (GC), and germline genetic testing (GT) for patients with ovarian cancer (OC) and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

Methods: QII activities occurred at sites over several years, all concluding by December 2020.

A multicenter study of clinical impact of variant of uncertain significance reclassification in breast, ovarian and colorectal cancer susceptibility genes.

Background: Clinical interpretation of genetic test results is complicated by variants of uncertain significance (VUS) that have an unknown impact on health but can be clarified through reclassification. There is little empirical evidence regarding VUS reclassification in oncology care settings, including the prevalence and outcomes of reclassification, and racial/ethnic differences.

Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of persons with and without a personal history of cancer carrying VUS (with or without an accompanying pathogenic or likely pathogenic [P/LP] variant) in breast, ovarian, and colorectal cancer predisposition genes seen at four cancer care settings (in Texas, Florida, Ohio, and New Jersey) between 2013 and 2019.

Use of breast surveillance between women with pathogenic variants and variants of uncertain significance in breast cancer susceptibility genes.

Background: Use of surveillance mammography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been understudied among women with variant of uncertain significance (VUS) compared to pathogenic and likely pathogenic variants (P/LP).

Methods: Using data from two cancer settings, we calculated use of risk-reducing mastectomy (RRM) and surveillance during each 13-month span after genetic testing up to 6 years afterwards for a cohort of genetically elevated risk women.

Results: Of 889 women, VUS carriers were less likely to undergo RRM compared to those with P/LP (hazard ratio [HR], 0.

Uptake of cancer risk management strategies among women who undergo cascade genetic testing for breast cancer susceptibility genes.

Background: Uptake of cancer risk management based on inherited predispositions, which encompasses bilateral mastectomy (BLM), bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO), and intensified screening, is the primary motivation for cascade testing for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC). However, long-term outcome data for cascade testers are lacking.

Methods: Medical records were abstracted for all unaffected women with pathogenic variants in HBOC genes from 2 cancer hospitals (2013-2019) with at least 1 year of follow-up to compare the uptake of surgery and screening between cascade and noncascade testers.