FaCT Trial (Facilitated Cascade Testing Trial)

Overview

The purpose of this study is to assess an intervention that incorporates engagement strategies with a medical team navigator, an educational video and accessible genetic testing services to maximize the genetic testing and education of at-risk relatives. In this study, first degree relatives who agree to participate will either receive this intervention or standard of care. The investigators do not know if the facilitated interventional method will be more effective than the standard of care method. This research is being done because identification of patients with inherited gynecologic/breast cancer syndromes is critical to enable delivery of tailored cancer treatment and cancer prevention to both the patients and their at-risk relatives. Cascade genetic testing, defined as extending genetic testing to the family members of affected patients, results in a more precise risk assessment and initiation of appropriate cancer screening and prevention strategies. Therefore, this trial will compare the efficacy of a multicomponent facilitated intervention for first degree relatives vs. standard of care in terms of the overall proportion of first degree relatives who complete genetic testing by 6 months (primary outcome).

This prospective randomized controlled trial will compare the efficacy of a multicomponent facilitated cascade testing intervention. One hundred and fifty probands with a diagnoses of a BRCA1/2 mutation will be enrolled and randomized to the intervention vs. control arms. Probands will be asked to share the names and contact information for all FDR (First Degree Relative) with whom they have shared their genetic testing results. One hundred and fifty probands will be recruited and randomized and, therefore, based on our institutional experience, the investigators anticipate on average 3 FDRs per proband, therefore up to 450 FDRs. Probands randomized to the standard of care group will be instructed to share a family letter (providing information on the familial mutation) with their FDRs and encourage FDRs to complete genetic testing. In the intervention group, a patient navigator will provide facilitated support, including an initial genetic counseling call, an email with a link to an educational video, and, for individuals who are interested in completing testing - a link to create an account for a free genetic testing saliva kit and a follow-up call to discuss the results and ensure participants are connected with their primary care provider or other clinician, as appropriate. Participating FDRs will complete quality of life assessments. FDRs found to have BRCA1/2 mutations will be followed to determine if they completed cancer risk-reducing surveillance or surgery as a result of the genetic testing results. Analyses will assess the proportion of first degree relatives who complete genetic testing by 6 months (primary outcome), as well as the proportion who engage subsequently in recommended risk-reducing behaviors by 18 months and quality of life; distributions of time between proband diagnosis and first degree relative testing; and potential covariate correlations. Probands at WCM only who do not meet eligibility criteria for randomization to the intervention and control arms will be offered enrollment in a third arm, in which they will receive the intervention in addition to the option for referral to patient advocacy/support groups including FORCE: Facing Hereditary Cancer EMPOWERED, Sharsheret, SHARE, LatinaSHARE, Oneinforty, Susan G. Komen, Any Mountain, and Genetic Support Foundation, for additional guidance. Probands enrolled in this third arm only will be asked to share the names and contact information for all first, second, and third-degree relatives with whom they have shared their genetic testing results. We estimate enrolling up to 200 subjects into this exploratory third arm (50 probands and 150 Relatives including first, second, and third-degree relatives).The combined total enrollment for the randomized probands and FDRs, and the probands and relatives (first, second, and third-degree relatives) enrolled in the third arm will total 800. To recruit patients for all arms of this study, we will identify eligible probands from any of the following sources: Genetic Counselors, Institutional Clinicians, BRCA Genetics Conferences, and by reviewing clinic schedules on weekly basis for potentially eligible patients.