Dr. Giri on next steps for the PROGRESS registry evaluating prostate cancer genetic testing

In this video, Veda Giri, MD, discusses next steps and take-home messages from the study, "Factors related to men’s experience with prostate cancer germline testing," which was presented at the 2023 American Society of Clinical Oncology Genitourinary Cancers Symposium. Giri is division chief of Clinical Cancer Genetics for Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer and assistant director of Clinical Cancer Genetics for Yale Cancer Center, New Haven, Connecticut.

Transcription:

What are the next steps for the PROGRESS registry?

What we really want to do is have more enhanced engagement of broader populations. We achieved our first round of accrual of 500 males into the PROGRESS registry. What we'd like to do now is really open the registry and have greater participation of African American and Asian males in this registry to be able to get deeper insights across populations. We want to then develop resources from the information that we already have. The purpose of this was to have this information and data supporting the development of resources. Some of those resources have already launched; we've had some webinars to our participants, to be able to talk more about some of the information that they've indicated that they need to [learn about]. [We're also] thinking about ways of supporting men in this process through the different aspects of their care, and also thinking of using technological tools, resources for their families in terms of the discussion of this information, and provider resources as well. So we're going to be working together as a team to come up with these sorts of resources. Funding, of course, will be really important for these types of avenues. We're so grateful to the Department of Defense for funding this first round of the PROGRESS registry, without which we could not have come to this point with this work. I have to also thank all of my collaborators and investigators across the US and the participants themselves for taking the time to engage with us.

What is the take-home message for the practicing urologist?

It is really important to think about germline testing for patients in urology practices. It really is now standard of care, even if it doesn't directly affect the treatment at the point in time that they're seeing them. This could be the doorway into uncovering hereditary cancer risks in their families. And so this needs to be considered in their care even from a hereditary cancer standpoint. The other takeaway point is to think about how to deliver this information to patients, whether that means partnering with a genetic counseling program, whether it means bringing in validated technology tools like web tools or videos into their practice, so that patients can hear this information, having staff in the office that can answer questions for patients so that they really can make an informed decision for genetic testing, and then really ensuring that the genetic testing is comprehensive, clinical grade at a reputable, experienced laboratory. Those are some of the clinical takeaways that are really important. I do think that this requires partnership across the board with genetics programs and specialists. Finding that partnership and collaboration is really important for patient care.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I think that we'd be looking to collaborate more broadly as well. We'd love to partner with urology practices and academic centers, to have even greater engagement in the next step of our PROGRESS registry, and also for resource development. We know thatthis has to be with team input to think about what resources really can work for patients and for urologists as well.

This transcription was edited for clarity.