Dr Kaakour on the Rationale For Evaluating Genomic Testing Patterns in Prostate Cancer

Dalia Kaakour, MD, first-year-fellow, hematology/oncology, Department of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, discusses findings from a survey on genomic testing patterns that was conducted in a real-world population of patients with prostate cancer, which were presented at the 2024 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium.

This study is part of a broader initiative that involves the creation and distribution of a comprehensive survey to various health care providers, Kaakour begins. These include medical oncologists, urologic oncologists, radiation oncologists, and advanced care providers working in the medical, urological, and radiation oncology settings. The primary aim of this initiative is to investigate disparities in prostate cancer care, covering aspects of the care plan such as the initial biopsy, treatment, genomic testing, and more, she explains. This study zooms in on the field of prostate cancer management to examine patterns of genomic testing, drawing comparisons between different provider groups and distinguishing practice patternsbetween academic and community settings, Kaakour elucidates.

A total of 47 survey responses were collected, wherein 28 (59.6%), 10 (21.3%), 2 (4.3%), 4 (8.5%), and 3 (6.4%) health care providers identified themselves as medical oncologists, urologists, radiation oncologists, advanced practitioners, and other, respectively. Among the respondents, 11 (23.4%) were affiliated with academic oncology, 17 (36.2%) were affiliatedwith community oncology, 8 (17.0%) were affiliated with academic urology, and 2 (4.6%) were affiliated with community urology.

Although the study has garnered responses to date, it is still ongoing, and Kaakour encourages all eligible providers to participate in the survey. Preliminary findings, based on the limited data available, indicate that providers in academic settings are more inclined to initiate genomic testing at an earlier disease stage compared with their counterparts in the community setting, she expands. Additionally, medical oncologists, whether in academic or community practices, seem to order genomic testing more frequently than urologic oncologists, Kaakour concludes.