Participant hopes and expectations regarding outcomes of genomic sequencing research in pediatric oncology.

Abstract

10020 Background: Tumor genomic sequencing is rapidly becoming more integrated into pediatric oncology, but for only a minority of individuals does sequencing identify new treatment options or impart an increased chance of cure. Retrospective data show that participants have high hopes for this promising technology, but patient/parent hopes and expectations for the outcomes of genomic sequencing have not previously been evaluated prospectively. Methods: Surveys were administered prospectively to eligible enrollees (young adult patients ≥18y with relapsed/recurrent cancer, rare cancers, and those with poor prognoses, or parents of patients < 18y) prior to return of sequencing results in two clinical sequencing studies through the GAIN (NCT02520713) and LEAP (NCT02670525) Consortia, across 18 pediatric cancer centers. Using previously validated measures, participants were queried about what they most hoped for and thought most likely to happen (most expected) as a result of participating in the sequencing study. Comparisons were made between hopes and expectations using McNemar’s test. Separate multivariate models assessed predictors of most hoping for, and most expecting, increased chance of cure as a result of participating. Models were adjusted for gender, race, disease (leukemia/solid tumor), highest education level achieved, and survey participant (patient/parent). We present interim survey results for 124 participants (67% response rate) who completed surveys between 10/15/17 (GAIN) or 9/1/16 (LEAP) and 1/15/19. Results: 58% (70/121) of respondents selected increased chance of cure as their greatest hope in participating; only 21% (25/119) reported cure as their greatest expectation (p < 0.005). 28% (34/121) most hoped their participation would help cure future patients, and 45% (54/119) most expected this result (p < 0.005). Only 8% (10/121) most hoped to learn more about their/their child’s cancer, but 21% (25/119) most expected this result (p = 0.006). In multivariate analyses, education beyond college level was associated with most hoping for cure as a result of sequencing (OR 2.7 95% CI [1.2, 5.8], p = 0.016). A solid tumor diagnosis was associated with most expecting cure in this setting (OR 2.7 [1.0, 7.2], p = 0.048). Conclusions: Participants derive great hope from participating in pediatric cancer genomic sequencing research, but expectations are more tempered. Some subgroups express heightened expectations of cure, however, potentially identifying target populations for educational intervention.