Enhancing Precision Medicine Through Fully Integrated Genetic Counseling-Video

Video Transcription

Video Summary

This webinar discussed how fully integrated genetic counseling can strengthen precision medicine in oncology. Speakers from ACCC, St. Elizabeth Healthcare, and UT Southwestern explained that genomic testing is now routine in cancer care, including germline testing, tumor sequencing, pharmacogenomics, and cascade testing. As testing volume and complexity grow, the biggest challenge is not ordering tests but interpreting them correctly and ensuring results are used in care.<br /><br />A major theme was the central role of genetic counselors as clinical decision partners, not support staff. They help interpret uncertain or complex variants, guide treatment decisions, coordinate cascade testing across families, and improve patient experience and equity. The speakers highlighted common workflow failures such as poor EHR integration, lack of ownership for follow-up, and missed opportunities for hereditary risk identification.<br /><br />They also described a toolkit created by NSGC, ACCC, and FORCE to help oncology programs build better genomics workflows. Examples from their institutions showed several successful models: referral-based counseling, embedded clinic-based counseling, and fully programmatic precision oncology models. These models improved access, testing appropriateness, cascade testing uptake, and downstream revenue. Overall, the key message was that fully integrated genetic counseling is essential to making precision oncology effective, sustainable, and patient-centered.

Keywords

genetic counseling

precision oncology

genomic testing

tumor sequencing

cascade testing

pharmacogenomics

hereditary cancer risk