System Maintenance Notice

Please note that maintenance work is scheduled between 4 AM and 5 AM - CET. During this time, you may experience reduced performance. Thanks for your patience.

Publications

Journal Article Epublish

PubMed: 42496771 DOI: 10.1007/s10689-026-00596-7

Brief report: attitudes and barriers toward genetic testing in pleural mesothelioma: a nationwide Italian survey.

Fam Cancer 25(3)

Authors: Luigi Cerbone, Matteo Perrino, Federica Grosso, Monica Ganzinelli, Giuseppe Lo Russo, Giulia Pasello, Paolo Andrea Zucali, Giovanni Luca Ceresoli, Mario Occhipinti, Marika Sculco

Affiliations

  • SSD Mesotelioma, Melanoma E Tumori Rari, AOU SS Antonio E Biagio E Cesare Arrigo Alessandria, Alessandria, Italy. Department for Sustainable Development and Ecological Transition, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Vercelli, Italy.
  • Medical Oncology Department, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy.
  • SSD Mesotelioma, Melanoma E Tumori Rari, AOU SS Antonio E Biagio E Cesare Arrigo Alessandria, Alessandria, Italy.
  • Medical Oncology 1, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Dei Tumori, Milan, Italy.
  • Medical Oncology 2, Istituto Oncologico Veneto, Padua, Italy.
  • Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Padua, Italy.
  • Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, Milan, Italy.
  • Humanitas Gavazzeni, Bergamo, Italy.
  • Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy.

Abstract

Pleural mesothelioma (PM) is a malignancy with a relevant genetic component, with germline mutations identified in up to 12% of cases. International guidelines recommend universal germline testing; however, its implementation in routine clinical practice remains inconsistent. This nationwide survey aimed to assess current clinical practice, attitudes, and barriers related to genetic testing among Italian specialists within the Mesothelioma Team Italy (MET-I) network. A 24-item questionnaire was distributed to MET-I members in 2025, exploring access to testing, clinical use, and perceived obstacles to both germline and somatic DNA sequencing. Forty-five physicians responded (53.6%). Although access to germline testing was relatively high (77.8%), only 6.7% of respondents routinely recommended it. Conversely, somatic NGS was widely available (95.6%) and primarily used for clinical trial screening (66.7%). The main barriers to germline testing included costs (62.2%), limited access to genetic counseling (51.1%), and insufficient physician awareness (48.8%). Despite the availability of genetic testing technologies, germline genetic testing in PM is underutilized in Italy.

MeSH

Research Design, Genetic Testing, Mesothelioma, Physicians