Chesterfield, Missouri-based Mercy is offering a free online assessment for people to determine their level of risk for genetic mutations, particularly those related to life-threatening cancers.
Mercy says it is one of the first U.S. health systems to make such an assessment widely and proactively available, according to a press release on the new tool. Mercy partnered with genetic testing company Tempus to offer the assessment, which is available at mercy.net/service/hereditary-cancer-test/.
Anyone aged 18 and up can take the screening.
The screening tool identifies patients who may have an inherited risk for a mutation and who meet guidelines to be eligible for genetic testing focused on hereditary, or germline, mutations of DNA. The mutations are inherited from a parent and increase the chances of developing hereditary cancers and other health conditions. Breast, ovarian, prostate and pancreatic cancers are some conditions that are associated with genetic risk.
If positive for a mutation, test results can alert patients to a heightened risk of disease, allow for earlier-than-usual detection and treatment of conditions, help inform treatment plans for patients, and enable family members of people with genetic mutations to know if they, too, are at risk.
The germline test can help patients with a detected mutation avoid more taxing treatments and worsened prognoses that can come with delayed diagnosis and help people gain better control of their health, according to Mercy.
Some Mercy markets are texting the assessment link to patients who are scheduled for mammograms. This practice will roll out to other communities served by Mercy in the future. Mercy's catchment area spans parts of Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.
People who are found to be at heightened risk for a condition based on their responses to the screening will be contacted by a Mercy representative, who will provide counseling prior to scheduling the blood test. That blood testing covers 77 genes.
The germline testing helps clinicians recommend a path for diagnosis or treatment. For instance, if the screening and genetic testing reveal a patient has a high risk of breast cancer, the clinician may recommend earlier-than-planned mammograms, magnetic resonance imaging or testing for family members, and risk-reduction measures. The screening and testing information can help clinicians understand what medicines or procedures would be most promising for treatment.
The new screening tool is coordinated through Mercy's Center for Precision Medicine, a virtual team offering treatment recommendations based on people's particular genetic characteristics. According to the center's website, precision medicine examines people's genes, environment and lifestyle to provide a better understanding of their overall health. The center offers personalized care plans to help ensure patients receive the most appropriate treatment.
The center's services include early detection tests for more than 50 types of cancer; tests for inherited gene mutations that increase the risk for cancer; pharmacogenomics to predict people's likely response to medication; testing of tumors for cancerous cells; and genetic testing for senior executive leaders.