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A clinically structured and partnered approach to genetic testing in Trinidadian women with breast cancer and their families

  • Epidemiology
  • Published:
Breast Cancer Research and Treatment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Introduction

Breast cancer (BC) is the leading cause of cancer death in Caribbean women. Across the Caribbean islands, the prevalence of hereditary breast cancer among unselected breast cancer patients ranges from 5 to 25%. Moreover, the prevalence of BC among younger women and the high mortality in the Caribbean region are notable. This BC burden presents an opportunity for cancer prevention and control that begins with genetic testing among high-risk women. Measured response to positive genetic test results includes the number of preventive procedures and cascade testing in family members. We previously reported data on an active approach to promote cascade testing in the Bahamas and report on preventive procedures showing moderate uptake. Here, we describe a clinically structured and community-partnered approach to the dissemination and follow-up of genetic test results including family counseling for the promotion of risk mitigation strategies and cascade testing in our Trinidadian cohort of patients tested positive for BC predisposition genes.

Methods

As a part of our initial study of BC genetic testing in Trinidad and Tobago, all participants received pre-test counseling including three-generation pedigree and genetic testing for BRCA1/2, PALB2, and RAD51C. The study was approved by the University of Miami IRB and the Ethics Committee of the Ministry of Health, Trinidad and Tobago. We prospectively evaluated a clinically structured approach to genetic counseling and follow-up of BC mutation carriers in Trinidad and Tobago in 2015. The intervention consisted of (1) engaging twenty-nine BC patients with a deleterious gene mutation (probands), and (2) invitation of their at-risk relatives to attend to a family counseling session. The session included information on the meaning of their results, risk of inheritance, risk of cancer, risk-reduction options, offering of cascade testing to family members, and follow-up of proband decision-making over two years.

Results

Twenty-four of twenty-nine mutation carriers (82.8%) consented to enroll in the study. At initial pedigree review, we identified 125 at-risk relatives (ARR). Seventy-seven ARR (62%) attended the family counseling sessions; of these, 76 ARR (99%) consented to be tested for their family gene mutation. Genetic sequencing revealed that of the 76 tested, 35 (46%) ARR were carriers of their family mutation. The ARR received their results and were urged to take preventative measures at post-test counseling. At 2-year follow-up, 6 of 21 probands with intact breasts elected to pursue preventive mastectomy (28.5%) and 4 of 20 women with intact ovaries underwent RRSO (20%).

Conclusions

In Trinidad and Tobago, a clinically structured and partnered approach to our testing program led to a significant rate of proband response by completing the intervention counseling session, executing risk-reducing procedures as well as informing and motivating at-risk relatives, thereby demonstrating the utility and efficacy of this BC control program.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by a grant from Komen For the Cure. The authors thank the staff of the North West Regional Health Authority: Dr. Dylan Narinesingh, Dr. Cemonne Nixon, Dr. Jamie Morton-Gittens, Dr. Zahir Mohammed, Dr. Suzanne Chapman, Nurse Patrice Carrington, and Nurse Netasha Celestine.

Funding

This work was supported by grants from the Susan G. Komen Foundation (PI: Hurley).

Author information

Author notes

  1. Authors Talia Donenberg and Sophia George have contributed equally.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, FL, USA

    Talia Donenberg, Sophia George, Gabriela Bravo & Judith Hurley

  2. Department of Human Genetics, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA

    Talia Donenberg

  3. Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA

    Sophia George & Navin Sookar

  4. Breast Surgery Unit, St. James Medical Complex, Northwest Regional Health Authority, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago

    Jameel Ali

  5. Division of General and Breast Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

    Karen Hernandez

  6. San Juan Bautista School of Medicine, Caguas, Puerto Rico

    Kimlin Tam Ashing

  7. City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA

    Talia Donenberg, Sophia George, Jameel Ali, Gabriela Bravo, Karen Hernandez, Navin Sookar, Kimlin Tam Ashing, Steven A. Narod, Mohammad R. Akbari & Judith Hurley

  8. Women’s College Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

    Steven A. Narod & Mohammad R. Akbari

  9. Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

    Steven A. Narod & Mohammad R. Akbari

  10. Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

    Steven A. Narod & Mohammad R. Akbari

  11. Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA

    Judith Hurley

  12. 1475 NW 12th Avenue, D8-4, 33136, Miami, FL, USA

    Judith Hurley

Authors
  1. Talia Donenberg
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  2. Sophia George
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  3. Jameel Ali
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  4. Gabriela Bravo
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  5. Karen Hernandez
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  6. Navin Sookar
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  7. Kimlin Tam Ashing
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  8. Steven A. Narod
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  9. Mohammad R. Akbari
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  10. Judith Hurley
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Contributions

TD: Conceptualization, formal analysis, data curation, writing—original draft. SG: Conceptualization, data curation, formal analysis, writing—original draft, writing—review and editing. JA: Conceptualization, data collection, formal analysis, writing—review and editing GB: Formal analysis, writing—original draft. KH: Formal analysis, writing—review and editing. NS: Data collection, writing—review and editing. KTA: Writing—review and editing. MRA: Formal analysis, writing—review and editing. SAN: Formal analysis, writing—review and editing. JH: Conceptualization, data curation, formal analysis, writing—original draft, writing—review and editing.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Judith Hurley.

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Conflict of interest

There are no conflicts of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Human and Animal rights

This study did not involve animals.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Donenberg, T., George, S., Ali, J. et al. A clinically structured and partnered approach to genetic testing in Trinidadian women with breast cancer and their families. Breast Cancer Res Treat 174, 469–477 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-018-5045-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-018-5045-y

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