Variable Regional Adoption of Genomic Testing for Prostate Cancer
Posted: Tuesday, February 9, 2021
Genomic tests have shown promise among men with prostate cancer because the aggressiveness of the disease varies widely among patients with localized cancers. According to a study, published in JAMA Oncology, the adoption of genomic testing in the United States for men with prostate cancer appeared to be highly variable based on measures of income, education, and prostate cancer services. The findings highlight underlying factors that may contribute to the differential adoption of genomic testing in the United States.
“Some regions had minimal or no use of genomic testing, while others had high levels of use, implying that decisions to test are highly discretionary,” stated Michael S. Leapman, MD, of Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, in an institutional press release.
Using administrative claims from Blue Cross Blue Shield Axis, the researchers identified more than 92,000 men who were diagnosed with prostate cancer between July 2012 and June 2018. The research team evaluated the use of commercially available genomic tests and analyzed trends based on sociodemographic and health-care characteristics at the hospital referral region level.
Overall, the proportion of patients using genomic testing increased from 0.8% to 11.3% between 2012 and 2018. The study identified five distinct regional trends for the adoption of genomic testing. The lowest adoption rates were in groups 1 and 2, whereas the highest adoption rate was identified in group 5. Compared with the regions with slower adoption rates, group 5 had higher education levels (P = .03), median household income (P = .005), and prostate cancer resources, such as clinician density (P = .04) and prostate cancer screening (P = .05), than regions with lower adoption rates.
Disclosure: For full disclosures of the study authors, visit jamanetwork.com.
