BRCA-DIRECT 2: SBRI (Small Business Project Initiative) Project
Chief Investigator: Professor Clare Turnbull - Institute of Cancer Research (ICR)
SHORE-C Investigators: Dr Helena Harder, Professor Valerie Jenkins, Professor Dame Lesley Fallowfield
Following on from the successful pilot of BRCA DIRECT (brca direct pilot study), NHS England has provided funding to implement the BRCA DIRECT application in 10-20 centres in England over an 18 month period.
All patients newly diagnosed with breast cancer have a BRCA test as standard of care via a digital 'clinician lite' pathway.
SHORE-C is involved in the project's inclusivity assessment which aims to identify the organisational and patient-level challenges in mainstream genetic testing for breast cancer using the BRCA-DIRECT platform. The interviews follow on from the feedback initially gathered from the sites involved in the pilot of BRCA-DIRECT, ie, Manchester, Wythenshawe, Royal Marsden Sutton, and Royal Marsden London.
There are three areas for exploration:
- HCPs' general views on breast cancer genetic testing and their perceptions about access to genetic testing following a breast cancer diagnosis.
- Benefits and challenges of mainstream genetic testing in a breast cancer setting: understanding the potential problems on a patient-level and organisational-level.
- Reflections on the BRCA-DIRECT trial: understanding the perceived barriers in the BRCA-DIRECT trial, in particular with regards to inclusivity and access to the platform.
In addition, SHORE-C will conduct focus groups with 8 - 10 patient representatives from groups identified in the CRUK BRCA-DIRECT research study as under-identified or under-served.
The information gathered from the project will be used to inform implementation of the digital platform.