Precision Medicine Think Tank Followup

During the think tank, the issues and suggested solutions listed here received the highest priority for further action at that time.

  • Awareness that not all results will have actionable mutations. Solution discussed: Develop a checklist for informed consent documents to improve understandability of requirements for precision medicine trials. Consider delivering materials with multiple types of media (paper, video, etc.). 
  • Inconsistent language and terms used by the healthcare team. Solution discussed: Work toward more use of more consistent language and terms related to precision medicine among the healthcare team. Provide a glossary. 
  • Access to tumor profiling including patient awareness of tumor profiling and physician knowledge of how to use such tests. Solution discussed: Educate patients about tumor profiling. Provide materials to physicians that is patient friendly. 
  • Site resources Solution discussed: Examine cost barriers and look at ways to address-foundation or alternate funding to cover the costs. Patient consent should include an optional consent to use the tissue for research. 
  • Precision medicine trials often have narrow eligibility requirements and even those with actionable mutations may be denied entry. Solution discussed: Advocates in NCTN groups question each concept/ protocol for eligibility requirements 
  • Small size of precision medicine trials does not result in strong evidence to change clinical practice Solution discussed: Explore and evaluate endpoints for statistical significance and meaningfulness to patients and ways to increase sample size to provide stronger evidence.