Abstract P2-15-02: Attitudes towards tissue donation for rapid autopsy among community and academic oncologists

Abstract

Abstract Rapid autopsy (RA) refers to the recently developed practice of obtaining research tissue within 2-6 hours following the death of a patient. Such tissue can offer insights into the genomic and proteomic evolution of metastatic disease and possible novel therapeutic targets. Although patients generally have positive attitudes towards RA, RA programs have not been widely established by oncologists at healthcare centers with these capabilities. To identify barriers to our adoption of an RA program, we conducted a 21-item web-based survey of academic and community oncologists in a single institution with regard to knowledge, attitudes and concerns about RA. Twenty-six physicians completed the study out of a possible 98 respondents, with 50% in academic practice and 50% in community practice. 46% were not aware of RA prior to the survey. None of the community physicians had experience with patient tissue donations of any kind. In completing the survey, 85% were willing to ask future patients about participating in RA. 58% of oncologists cited lack of awareness as their primary barrier to participation, while 31% reported discomfort in discussing rapid autopsy with patients or concern about the doctor-patient relationship. A minority of physicians had ethical concerns about the practice. The most popular strategies for increasing awareness of the RA program included distributing informational pamphlets to patients, using a third-party advocate or a discussion with the patient's primary oncologist or NP. 92% of those surveyed stated that being aware of patient interest would make them much more likely to recommend RA to patients. Our study is among the first to clarify barriers among oncologists, particularly community oncologists, to establishing RA programs and suggests that increased information alone with clarification of patient perceptions could provide substantial progress in developing RA programs at tertiary healthcare centers and recruiting patients to these programs. Citation Format: Rajagopal PS, Lee A, Puhalla SL. Attitudes towards tissue donation for rapid autopsy among community and academic oncologists [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-15-02.