A Michigan Medicine study is seeking to find ways to increase rates of genetic testing that can identify types of cancer that can run in families.
The Michigan Genetic Hereditary Testing, or MiGHT, study is seeking participants who have been diagnosed with cancer or who have a family history of cancer. Researchers hope they can use genetic testing to improve outcomes — including earlier cancer screenings.
The study is funded by a $4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health’s Cancer Moonshot program. The project has been underway since 2020.
“Even though most people who develop cancers develop their cancers simply by chance, in about 1 in every 10 cancer diagnoses, there is an underlying genetic factor that predisposes (them) to develop cancer,” said Dr. Elena Stoffel. Stoffel is an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan. She’s also the director of the Rogel Cancer Center’s Genetics Clinic.
“If we could identify individuals who have this kind of predisposition to developing cancer, we could intervene early to either detect those cancers earlier, or perhaps even to be able to prevent them all together through earlier screenings and behavioral interventions," she said.
The study invites anyone who's interested to fill out a family cancer history form. If participants fit the criteria for genetic testing, based on their family history, they could join a randomized trial.
“They will be randomized into one of two intervention arms where they will either be contacted in person, or over the telephone by a genetics health coach or they will be given a link to a virtual genetics navigator,” Stoffel said.
Stoffel said the trials will provide “information about why is genetic testing important, how can genetic testing impact your health, and answer some commonly asked questions.”
Genetic testing can be done via cheek swabs or blood testing.
“Clinical genetic testing for cancer susceptibility is done by specific clinical genetics laboratories, that will return a result about whether there are alterations in particular cancer susceptibility genes that would require specialized management," she said.
That management could involve extra preventative measures that could help doctors detect cancer earlier and possibly intervene earlier.
“More frequent breast cancer screenings, earlier colon cancer screenings or other interventions to try to detect cancers early, or even prevent cancers from developing in people at very high risk,” Stoffel said.
She said who don’t qualify will still be encouraged to discuss genetic testing with their doctor.
The hope ultimately, is that more widespread genetic testing in Michigan will help researchers gain insight into the genetic aspects of cancer and how to treat them. You can learn more here: info.mightstudy.org.
