Racial disparities in BRCA testing: Why?
https://www.facingourrisk.org/XRAY/racial-disparities-in-BRCA-testing
Full article: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5012689/
Black women receive BRCA testing less frequently than white women. Why is that? Researchers thought the reason might be that black and white women see different health care providers. However, new research suggests that disparities in physician recommendations for testing are the cause: black women with breast cancer were less likely to receive physician recommendations for BRCA testing than white women with breast cancer. There is a need to ensure equity in physician testing recommendations for black women. (7/21/16)
Questions To Ask Your Health Care Provider
- I had breast cancer before the age of 50; should I consider genetic counseling or testing?
- My (sister/mom/grandma) got breast cancer at an early age, but I do not know much about my family history. Should I get consider genetic counseling and/or genetic testing?
- Some of the women on my dad’s side of the family had breast cancer before age 45. Does this affect me?
- Will my insurance cover genetic testing?
- If my insurance won't cover genetic testing and I still would like to have it, are there low-cost options for testing?
- Can you refer me to a genetic counselor?
Open Clinical Trials
The following clinical trials include genetic counseling and testing.
- NCT02620852: WISDOM Study: Women Informed to Screen Depending on Measures of Risk offers women ages 40-74 the opportunity to undergo risk assessment and genetic testing in order to determine the best breast screening options based on their situation.
- NCT05562778: Chatbot to maximize hereditary cancer genetic risk assessment. Researchers are testing whether a mobile health platform, known as a "chatbot" can improve rates of genetic testing among Medicaid patients with an elevated risk having an inherited mutation.
- NCT05427240: eHealth Delivery Alternative for Cancer Genetic Testing for Hereditary Cancer (eReach2). This study will look at the effectiveness of offering web-based options for pre/post-test genetic counseling to provide equal or improved timely uptake of genetic services and testing.
- NCT05694559: Connecting Black Families in Houston, Texas to Hereditary Cancer Genetic Counseling, Genetic Testing, and Cascade Testing by Using a Simple Genetic Risk Screening Tool and Telegenetics. This study will provide genetic testing to 150 Black individuals and families and provide genetic counseling and risk reduction resources to individuals with a mutation linked to increased cancer risk.
Other genetic counseling or testing studies may be found here.
The following clinical research studies focus on addressing health disparities in cancer.
- NCT04854304: Abbreviate or FAST Breast MRI for Supplemental Breast Cancer Screening for Black Women at Average Risk and Dense Breasts. This study is looking at how effectively a FAST breast MRI can successfully detect breast cancer in Black women with dense breasts.
- NCT03640208: Educate, Assess Risk and Overcoming Barriers to Colorectal Screening Among African Americans. This research will study a community-based intervention to educate and overcome barriers to screening among African Americans who are 45 years or older with no personal or family history of colorectal cancer or inflammatory bowel disease.
- NCT04392050: A Community-Based Educational Intervention to Improve Colorectal Cancer Screening. This study will look at what makes it easy or difficult for underserved populations to have colorectal cancer screenings, with a focus on African American, Latinx and Asian people.
About FORCE
FORCE is a national nonprofit organization, established in 1999. Our mission is to improve the lives of individuals and families affected by adult hereditary cancers.