Barriers to completion of cascade genetic testing: how can we improve the uptake of testing for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome?

Cascade testing for familial cancer syndromes has historically been difficult to execute. As part of a facilitated cascade testing pathway, we evaluated barriers to completion of cascade testing. Our previously published study evaluated a facilitated cascade testing pathway whereby a genetics team facilitated at-risk relative (ARR) cascade testing through telephone genetic counseling and mailed saliva kit testing.

SNPs at SMG7 Associated with Time from Biochemical Recurrence to Prostate Cancer Death.

Background: A previous genome-wide association study identified several loci with genetic variants associated with prostate cancer survival time in two cohorts from Sweden. Whether these variants have an effect in other populations or if their effect is homogenous across the course of disease is unknown.

Methods: These variants were genotyped in a cohort of 1,298 patients.

Germline Pathogenic Variants Impact Clinicopathology of Advanced Lung Cancer.

Background: The genetic factors that modulate risk for developing lung cancer have not been fully defined. Here, we sought to determine the prevalence and clinical significance of germline pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants (PV) in patients with advanced lung cancer.

Methods: We studied clinical and tumor characteristics of germline PV in 5,118 patients who underwent prospective genomic profiling using paired tumor-normal tissue samples in 468 cancer genes.

Multiple Primary Cancers in Patients Undergoing Tumor-Normal Sequencing Define Novel Associations.

Background: Cancer survivors are developing more subsequent tumors. We sought to characterize patients with multiple (≥2) primary cancers (MPC) to assess associations and genetic mechanisms.

Methods: Patients were prospectively consented (01/2013-02/2019) to tumor-normal sequencing via a custom targeted panel (MSK-IMPACT).

Clonal hematopoiesis is associated with risk of severe Covid-19.

Acquired somatic mutations in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (clonal hematopoiesis or CH) are associated with advanced age, increased risk of cardiovascular and malignant diseases, and decreased overall survival. These adverse sequelae may be mediated by altered inflammatory profiles observed in patients with CH. A pro-inflammatory immunologic profile is also associated with worse outcomes of certain infections, including SARS-CoV-2 and its associated disease Covid-19.

Germline RAD51B variants confer susceptibility to breast and ovarian cancers deficient in homologous recombination.

Pathogenic germline mutations in the RAD51 paralog genes RAD51C and RAD51D, are known to confer susceptibility to ovarian and triple-negative breast cancer. Here, we investigated whether germline loss-of-function variants affecting another RAD51 paralog gene, RAD51B, are also associated with breast and ovarian cancer. Among 3422 consecutively accrued breast and ovarian cancer patients consented to tumor/germline sequencing, the observed carrier frequency of loss-of-function germline RAD51B variants was significantly higher than control cases from the gnomAD population database (0.

Clonal hematopoiesis is associated with risk of severe Covid-19.

Acquired somatic mutations in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (clonal hematopoiesis or CH) are associated with advanced age, increased risk of cardiovascular and malignant diseases, and decreased overall survival. These adverse sequelae may be mediated by altered inflammatory profiles observed in patients with CH. A pro-inflammatory immunologic profile is also associated with worse outcomes of certain infections, including SARS-CoV-2 and its associated disease Covid-19.

Targeting Germline- and Tumor-Associated Nucleotide Excision Repair Defects in Cancer.

Purpose: Nucleotide excision repair (NER) gene alterations constitute potential cancer therapeutic targets. We explored the prevalence of NER gene alterations across cancers and putative therapeutic strategies targeting these vulnerabilities.

Experimental Design: We interrogated our institutional dataset with mutational data from more than 40,000 patients with cancer to assess the frequency of putative deleterious alterations in four key NER genes.

11p15.5 epimutations in children with Wilms tumor and hepatoblastoma detected in peripheral blood.

Background: Constitutional or somatic mosaic epimutations are increasingly recognized as a mechanism of gene dysregulation resulting in cancer susceptibility. Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome is the cancer predisposition syndrome most commonly associated with epimutation and is extremely variable in its phenotypic presentation, which can include isolated tumors. Because to the authors' knowledge large-scale germline DNA sequencing studies have not included methylation analysis, the percentage of pediatric cancer predisposition that is due to epimutations is unknown.

Mismatch Repair-Deficient Rectal Cancer and Resistance to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy.

Purpose: Evaluate response of mismatch repair-deficient (dMMR) rectal cancer to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Experimental Design: dMMR rectal tumors at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (New York, NY) were retrospectively reviewed for characteristics, treatment, and outcomes. Fifty patients with dMMR rectal cancer were identified by IHC and/or microsatellite instability analysis, with initial treatment response compared with a matched MMR-proficient (pMMR) rectal cancer cohort.

Cascading After Peridiagnostic Cancer Genetic Testing: An Alternative to Population-Based Screening.

Purpose: Despite advances in DNA sequencing technology and expanded medical guidelines, the vast majority of individuals carrying pathogenic variants of common cancer susceptibility genes have yet to be identified. An alternative to population-wide genetic screening of healthy individuals would exploit the trend for genetic testing at the time of cancer diagnosis to guide therapy and prevention, combined with augmented familial diffusion or "cascade" of genomic risk information.

Methods: Using a multiple linear regression model, we derived the time interval to detect an estimated 3.