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Breast Cancer Research and Treatment

, Volume 171, Issue 1, pp 173–180 | Cite as

Uptake of BRCA 1/2 and oncotype DX testing by medical and surgical oncologists

  • Yonina R. Murciano-Goroff
  • Anne Marie McCarthy
  • Mirar N. Bristol
  • Peter Groeneveld
  • Susan M. Domchek
  • U. Nkiru Motanya
  • Katrina Armstrong
Epidemiology
First Online:
Received:
Accepted:

Abstract

Purpose

The diffusion of genomic testing is critical to the success of precision medicine, but there is limited information on oncologists’ uptake of genetic technology. We aimed to assess the frequency with which medical oncologists and surgeons order BRCA 1/2 and Oncotype DX testing for breast cancer patients.

Methods

We surveyed 732 oncologists and surgeons treating breast cancer patients. Physicians were from Florida, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, and were listed in the 2010 AMA Masterfile or identified by patients.

Results

80.6% of providers ordered BRCA 1/2 testing at least sometimes and 85.4% ordered Oncotype DX (p = 0.01). More frequent ordering of BRCA 1/2 was associated with more positive attitudes toward genetic innovation (OR 1.14, p = 0.001), a belief that testing was likely to be covered by patients’ insurance (OR 2.84, p < 0.001), and more frequent ordering of Oncotype DX testing (OR 8.69, p < 0.001). More frequent use of Oncotype DX was associated with a belief that testing was likely to be covered by insurance (OR 7.33, p < 0.001), as well as with more frequent ordering of BRCA 1/2 testing (OR 9.48, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Nearly one in five providers never or rarely ever ordered BRCA 1/2 testing for their breast cancer patients, and nearly 15% never or rarely ever ordered Oncotype DX. Less frequent ordering of BRCA 1/2 is associated with less frequent use of Oncotype DX testing, and vice versa. Those who do not order BRCA 1/2 testing report less positive attitudes toward genetic innovation. Further education of this subset of providers regarding the benefits of precision medicine may enable more rapid diffusion of genetic technology.

Keywords

Breast cancer BRCA1/2 testing Oncotype DX Precision medicine 
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Notes

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health, Grant 5-R01-CA133004- 3.

Compliance with ethical standards

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Department of MedicineMassachusetts General HospitalBostonUSA
  2. 2.Department of MedicineUniversity of Pennsylvania Perelman School of MedicinePhiladelphiaUSA
  3. 3.University of Pennsylvania Abramson Cancer CenterPhiladelphiaUSA

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