Underutilization of germline BRCA testing in commercially-insured women diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

Abstract

5539 Background: Germline BRCA (gBRCA) testing has prognostic, therapeutic, and familial implications for patients with ovarian cancer. Since 2010, national guidelines have recommended universal genetic testing, but few data are available about rates and timeliness of testing or factors associated with testing. Methods: We examined rates of gBRCA testing and the time from index procedure to testing among commercially-insured women aged 18 to 64 with claims for ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancers cancer who received cytoreductive surgery and chemotherapy between 2008-2018. We used logistic regression to assess patient-, clinician-, and practice-level characteristics associated with testing. Results: Overall, the rate of g BRCA testing was 33.9%, increasing from 14.7% in 2008 to 46.4% in 2018; the median time to testing decreased from 280.0 to 72.5 days. Patients who were tested were younger than those who were not (mean [SD] 54.7 [9.9] years vs. 58.1 [11.8] years, P<.001) and had fewer comorbidities (Charlson score ≥2: 3.7% vs. 9.5%, P=0.01). There were no differences in testing rates by US region, rurality of practice location, or medical vs. gynecologic oncology providers. However, testing rates were higher in academic and NCI-designated cancer centers (36.2% and 32.5%, respectively), compared with community practices (25.5%; P<0.001) (Table). In adjusted analyses, lower test rates were associated with older age (aOR=0.97, 95%CI=0.96-0.98), more medical comorbidities (Charlson score ≥2: aOR=0.77, 95%CI=0.61-0.97), and community practices vs. NCI cancer centers (aOR=0.64, 95%CI=0.46-0.88). Conclusions: While the rates and time to testing for gBRCA in patients with new diagnoses of ovarian cancer have improved over time, testing remains underutilized, even among well-insured populations. Future studies should examine barriers to timely genetic testing and identify scalable strategies for increasing testing in women with ovarian cancer, particularly for women treated in community practices.[Table: see text]