Uptake for Genetic Testing of Melanoma Risk is High in Primary Care Setting

Nearly half of patients at an outpatient primary care clinic elected to learn about genomic testing to assess their risk of melanoma, and the vast majority went on to request MC1R testing and submit the test kit. These were the main findings from a randomized clinical trial among patients at University of New Mexico general internal medicine clinics. The data appears in JAMA Dermatology.
In the study, 1,998 patients were approached with invitation flyers in both English and Spanish and National Cancer Institute skin cancer information for diverse skin types. Patients were randomized in a 5:1 ratio to an invitation to consider personalized genomic testing (via MC1R) for skin cancer risk by logging onto the study website or to usual care control. Controls did not receive an invitation to log on. Those randomized to the intervention arm could log onto the study website to read 3 educational modules aboutMC1R testing and then register a test decision.
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