Myriad Genetics Announces Hereditary Cancer Risk Assessment Program Study Published in Obstetrics & Gynecology
Study showed online screening tool and patient education improved genetic testing completion rate
SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- . (NASDAQ: MYGN), a leader in genetic testing and precision medicine, announced a study revealing that more patients completed hereditary cancer testing when they used an online screening tool and received education about genetic testing. The was published in Obstetrics & Gynecology (also known as The Green Journal) and was highlighted in the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Daily Bulletin.
The study evaluated the change in genetic testing completion rate following the implementation of , a guideline-based online patient screening tool, and a virtual patient education program. It found that the online tool enabled identification of significantly more patients meeting guideline-based criteria for hereditary cancer testing (HCT), while the education program improved the patients’ understanding of genetic testing.
“Approximately one in four women meet the guidelines for hereditary cancer testing1,” said Richard N. Waldman, MD, lead author of the study, past president of ACOG, and a Diplomate of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. “By implementing easy-to-use online patient screening and education tools, clinicians were better able to identify patients who would benefit from genetic testing, which could lead to more personalized screening and preventive measures.”
Following the practices’ implementation of MyGeneHistory and the patient education program:
- 30% more patients were identified as meeting the guidelines for HCT;
- 50% more patients who met guidelines were offered HCT; and
- More than twice the number of patients completed HCT.
Clinicians participating in the study reported increased confidence in administering hereditary cancer risk assessment (HCRA), with 87% stating the online screening and education tools helped them practice according to the recommended standard of care. More than 80% of providers believed the program helped them follow the ACOG guidelines for HCRA and expressed their intention to continue using the program.
“These findings further support Myriad’s commitment to provider ease of use and patient access by enabling an always-on tool to drive appropriate patient identification and education, via our Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Program,” said Melissa Gonzales, President of Women’s Health, Myriad Genetics.
Myriad’s Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Program features the , the first and industry-leading hereditary cancer test and polygenic breast cancer risk assessment for all ancestries. It includes MyGeneHistory, an online screening tool that helps assess if a patient meets medical guidelines for hereditary cancer testing. The program also includes patient education about genetic testing and a guide on how to collect family history of certain cancers. For more information, please visit .
About the Study
The large-scale prospective study involved more than 10,000 patients across five U.S. community obstetrics/gynecology practices. The study included an eight-week observation period, followed by three to four weeks of training on the online patient screening and virtual patient education program, which include a pre-recorded video with/without a genetic counselor phone call. Following a four-week practice period, the study authors evaluated hereditary cancer risk assessment and patient education metrics at eight weeks. This data was then compared with pre-intervention metrics using univariate conditional logistic regression models stratified by site.
About Myriad Genetics
Myriad Genetics is a leading genetic testing and precision medicine company dedicated to advancing health and well-being for all. Myriad Genetics develops and offers genetic tests that help assess the risk of developing disease or disease progression and guide treatment decisions across medical specialties where genetic insights can significantly improve patient care and lower healthcare costs. For more information, visit .
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including that the study's findings further support the company’s commitment to provider ease of use and patient access and statements related to how implementing an easy-to-use online patient screening and education tool may lead to clinicians being better able to identify patients who would benefit from genetic testing, which could lead to more personalized screening and preventive measures. These “forward-looking statements” are management’s expectations of future events as of the date hereof and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, conditions, and events to differ materially and adversely from those anticipated. Such factors include those risks described in the company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 28, 2024, as well as any updates to those risk factors filed from time to time in the company’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or Current Reports on Form 8-K. Myriad is not under any obligation, and it expressly disclaims any obligation, to update or alter any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as required by law.
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1 DeFrancesco et al. Hereditary Cancer Risk Assessment and Genetic Testing in the Community-Practice Setting. Obstetrics & Gynecology 2018
