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Yearly, more than hundred thousand people develop cancer in the Netherlands. For most types of cancers, the chance of having a genetic predisposition is low (around 5%). However, around 12 to 15% of women with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) have a hereditary cancer predisposition. Therefore, it is important to offer genetic testing to all women with EOC in order to prevent cancer in their relatives.
Genetic testing in EOC can be done more efficient with the new ‘Tumor-First’ workflow: testing the tumor DNA first, which is only followed by genetic testing in blood when the tumor DNA test is aberrant. Recently, Vera Witjes & Nicoline Hoogerbrugge from the department of Human Genetics have written a perspective to explain the principles of the Tumor-First workflow. This article on behalf of the Tumor-First project team was published online in the NTvG on 1 February 2023.
To investigate the attitudes of healthcare professionals towards the Tumor-First workflow and to identify factors that facilitate or hinder implementation, the project team organized multidisciplinary focus group discussions. These results have been recently published in Familial Cancer. Excitingly, all healthcare professionals support national implementation of Tumor-First for ovarian cancer. Points discussed were used for a Dutch implementation plan including an implementation toolbox, which may be a model for other countries to follow.
Read the article 'Healthcare professionals’ perspectives on implementation of universal tumor DNA testing in ovarian cancer patients: multidisciplinary focus groups' here.
You can visit the website and toolbox here: www.tumorfirst.nl
