title: The sooner the better: Genetic testing following ovarian cancer diagnosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  As treatment based genetic testing becomes a reality, it is important to assess the attitudes and preferences of women newly diagnosed with ovarian cancer regarding genetic testing. The objective of this study was to determine when women with a diagnosis of high grade serous ovarian cancer would prefer to undergo genetic testing and factors that influence this preference.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women over 18years of age with a known diagnosis of high grade serous ovarian cancer diagnosed between October 2010-2013 were identified via the Princess Margaret Cancer Center Registry. Participants completed a questionnaire, which obtained preferences and attitudes towards genetic testing, cancer history, and demographic information.
  
  
  RESULTS
  120 of the 355 women identified (33.8%) completed the questionnaires. The median age at time of ovarian cancer diagnosis was 57years (range 35-84). The majority of participants in this study were offered (94.6%) and pursued (84.8%) genetic testing. In this cohort, testing was most frequently offered at diagnosis (41.8%) or during treatment (19.1%). In this study, women with high grade serous ovarian cancer felt that genetic testing should be offered before or at the time of diagnosis (67.8%). Having a family history of breast or ovarian cancer was significantly (p=0.012) associated with preferring genetic testing at an earlier time point in the disease course.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results demonstrate that women with high grade serous ovarian cancer acknowledge the personal and clinical utility of genetic testing and support test implementation at the time of cancer diagnosis.
authors: The Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Familial Breast and Ovarian Cancer Clinic, Princess Margaret Cancer Center, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Fox
authors: Familial Breast and Ovarian Cancer Clinic, Princess Margaret Cancer Center, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: McCuaig
authors: Familial Breast and Ovarian Cancer Clinic, Princess Margaret Cancer Center, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Demsky
authors: The Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Shuman
authors: The Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Chitayat
authors: Department of Biostatistics, Princess Margaret Cancer Center, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Maganti
authors: Familial Breast and Ovarian Cancer Clinic, Princess Margaret Cancer Center, Toronto, ON, Canada; Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Murphy
authors: Familial Breast and Ovarian Cancer Clinic, Princess Margaret Cancer Center, Toronto, ON, Canada; Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Rosen
authors: Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Ferguson
authors: Familial Breast and Ovarian Cancer Clinic, Princess Margaret Cancer Center, Toronto, ON, Canada. Electronic address: Susan.Randall@uhn.ca.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Randall Armel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018284:Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D019398:Genes, BRCA1; D024522:Genes, BRCA2; D005817:Genetic Counseling / Q000379:methods*; D005820:Genetic Testing / Q000379:methods*; D018095:Germ-Line Mutation; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology
keywords: BRCA1; BRCA2; Genetic counseling; Genetic testing; Serous ovarian cancer