Collaboration Supports Genetic Testing for Hereditary Cancer

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology for Genetic/Familial High-Risk Assessment: Breast, Ovarian and Pancreatic have been added to the Outcomes4Me mobile application, a free mobile app to empower cancer patients with the information and tools to navigate their care.

NCCN and Outcomes4Me first joined forces in 2019 to integrate the NCCN Guidelines for Breast Cancer into the Outcomes4Me direct-to-patient mobile app. This additional integration leverages Outcomes4Me's platform to enable millions of people to be able to identify whether they should be tested for inherited cancers.

Despite the long-standing availability of testing for inherited cancer, only a small portion of the at-risk population has taken advantage of it. In fact, recent data suggests that fewer than 20% of patients with breast or ovarian cancer who meet national criteria for inherited cancer risk testing receive it.

“We hope that by integrating these NCCN Guidelines into the Outcomes4Me app thus making them more accessible to every patient wherever they are, we will not only better democratize life-saving information, but also help address some of the disparities we see in cancer care,” said Osama E. Rahma, MD, Outcomes4Me's co-founder and medical consultant. “These disparities are extremely unfortunate, as we know that cancer risks are much higher among individuals with inherited cancer predisposing gene mutations.”

The NCCN Guidelines for Genetic/Familial High-Risk Assessment: Breast, Ovarian, and Pancreatic provide recommendations for genetic testing and counseling for hereditary cancer syndromes and risk management recommendations for patients identified as being “increased risk.” Through the leadership and expertise of clinical professionals at its member institutions, NCCN develops resources that present valuable information and guidance to the numerous stakeholders in the healthcare delivery system.

“We've been very impressed with the work Outcomes4Me has done to integrate our physician-facing breast cancer guidelines to make them more accessible for breast cancer patients using their app. This expanded collaboration will improve accessibility of the NCCN Guidelines for Genetic/Familial High-Risk assessment as well,” said Robert W. Carlson, MD, CEO of NCCN. “Outcomes4Me is dedicated to empowering patients. By expanding the availability of this information, it will increase awareness in genetic testing, share tools for a more proactive approach to health, and provide greater access to genetic counseling and testing, ultimately helping to save lives.”