Patient and Provider Perspectives on Genetic Risk Profiling

Prostate cancer is the most prevalent cancer in men in the UK, however there are currently no formalised prostate cancer screening and risk management guidelines. Prostate cancer has a large heritable/genetic component and the combination of genetic alterations that a person inherits has a large influence on their risk. Genetic risk profiling can provide information on whether a person has a higher, average or lower genetic risk to develop prostate cancer. This can help to guide screening and management advice, with people at higher risk benefitting from increased surveillance and interventions, while sparing those at lower risk from unnecessary interventions. It can also provide guidance on potential treatments, prevention and reproductive risks and options. This can tailor and personalise healthcare for patients based on their risk, while also providing economic benefits to the healthcare system. Despite the benefits of genetic risk profiling, there are current concerns pertaining to the readiness for it's implementation into routine clinical practice given the lack of current risk management guidelines and uncertainty pertaining to actionability of results. Further research is essential to inform clinical practice.

This study will explore the perspectives of all stakeholders involved in the testing process, namely patients and healthcare providers who respectively receive and deliver genetic risk profiling results, to explore their viewpoints on the utility of genetic risk profiling in routine clinical practice. The research aims to explore current benefits, limitations, concerns and needs pertaining to genetic risk profiling which may contribute towards future research and clinical practice. Patients and providers who have received or delivered these results will be invited to participate in a once-off interview either at the Royal Marsden Hospital in Chelsea or Sutton or via video/telephone consultation. The research will be funded by the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity over 2 years.