PROSPECTIVE COMPARISON OF IN-PERSON VERSUS ONLINE GENETIC COUNSELLING IN BREAST CANCER PATIENTS chinmaybagla@yahoo.co.in

 

PROSPECTIVE COMPARISON OF IN-PERSON VERSUS ONLINE GENETIC COUNSELLING IN BREAST CANCER PATIENTS

8

India

Oral or Poster

Hereditary breast cancer accounts for 18–30% of cases in Indian cohorts, with BRCA1/2 being the most common mutations. Genetic counselling is central to testing and prevention, but access remains limited. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the role of tele-genetic counselling (TGC) as an alternative to in-person consultations. This study aimed to compare both modalities in terms of genetic testing uptake, risk-reducing surgery (RRS) decisions, and psychosocial outcomes.

A total of 154 eligible patients underwent genetic counselling—77 in-person and 77 via tele video-counselling—at a tertiary oncology centre. Pre- and post-test counselling was provided. Outcomes assessed included genetic test uptake, RRS decisions and satisfaction (GCSS). Statistical analysis compared both groups.

Of 154 counselled patients, 111 opted for genetic testing; 107 (69.4%) underwent testing. Uptake did not differ significantly between groups (57 in-person vs. 50 tele). BRCA1 was the most frequent mutation. Twenty-four mutation carriers were eligible for RRS; 8 (33.3%) underwent surgery—3 mastectomies and 7 salpingo-oophorectomies—with higher acceptance for oophorectomy. No significant differences in distress (DASS-21, p=0.84) or IES-R scores (16 vs. 16, both <33) were observed. Satisfaction was high in both groups, though 5 tele-counselling patients later sought in-person sessions due to distractions or connectivity issues

Tele-genetic counselling was non-inferior to in-person counselling for genetic test uptake, RRS decisions, satisfaction, and psychological wellbeing. Given resource constraints and limited counsellor availability in India, tele-counselling represents a feasible, effective, and scalable model for hereditary cancer risk management.