Abstract
BackgroundWe sought to assess physician interest in molecular prognosic testing for patients with early stage colon cancer, and identify factors associated with the likelihood of test adoption.MethodsWe identified physicians who care for patients with early-stage (pN0) colon cancer patients, mailed them a survey, and analyzed survey responses to assess clinician receptivity to the use of a new molecular test (GUCY2C) that identifies patients at risk for recurrence, and clinician readiness to act on abnormal test results.ResultsOf 104 eligible potential respondents, 41 completed and returned the survey. Among responding physicians, 56 % were receptive to using the new prognostic test. Multivariable analyses showed that physicians in academic medical centers were significantly more receptive to molecular test use than those in non-academic settings.Forty-one percent of respondents were ready to act on abnormal molecular test results. Physicians who viewed current staging methods as inaccurate and were confident in their capacity to incorporate molecular testing in practice were more likely to say they would act on abnormal test results.ConclusionsPhysician receptivity to molecular diagnostic testing for early-stage colon cancer patients is likely to be influenced by practice setting and perceptions related to delivering quality care to patients.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01972737
Highlights
We sought to assess physician interest in molecular prognosic testing for patients with early stage colon cancer, and identify factors associated with the likelihood of test adoption
Physicians who care for cancer patients are challenged by the need to learn about new developments in the field and the demand to apply these new tools in patient care [1]
To date limited research has reported on physician receptivity to and use of molecular diagnostic testing in cancer care [4]
Summary
We sought to assess physician interest in molecular prognosic testing for patients with early stage colon cancer, and identify factors associated with the likelihood of test adoption. New and emerging molecular diagnostic tests have the potential to improve the accuracy of disease staging, determine if a given patient may be predisposed to disease progression, and provide useful information about the patient’s likely response to treatment. Realizing the potential benefits of molecular diagnostic testing in cancer care will require high levels of physician receptivity and readiness to use such tests routinely [2, 3]. To date limited research has reported on physician receptivity to and use of molecular diagnostic testing in cancer care [4]
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