Physicians often fail to recommend genetic testing for breast cancer patients at high risk for mutations, according to a research letter published Feb. 7 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The findings, the authors say, indicate both the need to improve physicians’ assessments of patients’ risk and need for genetic testing, as well as the need to expand the availability of genetic counseling. "The fact that many women are not offered genetic testing after a diagnosis of breast cancer is an important illustration of the challenges of driving advances in precision medicine into the exam room," says co-senior author Steven Katz, M.D., from University of Michigan, in a statement. Women (aged 20 to 79 years) diagnosed with breast cancer (stages 0 to II) between July 2013 and September 2014 were identified using the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results registries of Georgia and Los Angeles County. Identified women were mailed surveys two months after surgery. Questions assessed patients’ desire for genetic testing (not at all, a little bit, somewhat, quite a bit, very much), whether patients talked about testing with any "doctor or other health professional," had a session with a genetic counseling expert, or completed testing. Cancer family […]