Family Centered Approaches to Promoting Cascade Screening for Hereditary Cancer Syndromes among African Americans

研究表明，非洲裔美国人比其他种族群体更不可能从事遗传学研究。 检测遗传性癌症综合征，可以发现增加癌症风险的基因突变。 非裔美国人的癌症级联检测率也较低，这是一种提供遗传咨询的过程 并检测非裔美国人的亲属，他们是已知的特定癌症相关基因的携带者， 突变。随着临床基因检测越来越普及，设计 所有人口，特别是那些传统上得不到充分服务的人口都能得到干预。定制 在存在健康差距的地方，战略对于增加干预措施的获得和采用特别有用。 这个职业发展奖为埃利斯博士提供了一个机会，开发和测试一个家庭定制的 增加非裔美国人癌症级联检测的干预措施。该奖项聚焦于 加强研究人员在干预研究和癌症遗传学方面的技能。她的长期职业目标 是成为一名独立的调查员，具有进行以家庭为基础的干预研究的专业知识， 改善非裔美国人的癌症预后。埃利斯博士在公共卫生（卫生）研究生水平的培训 行为和教育）和社会工作（与个人和家庭的人际实践），以及博士后 在癌症健康差异方面的培训，使她处于一个独特的位置，可以制定干预措施， 非裔美国人家庭癌症基因检测的心理社会和行为方面。职业 发展目标和指导计划包括课程和讲习班;指导性指导，包括指导 与导师一起阅读;体验式学习，包括在癌症遗传学诊所和干预中的阴影 开发、测试和评估;量身定制的健康信息开发;出席和参与 专业会议;以及，手稿和赠款写作和提交。这些活动支持 具体目标的执行，这是：（1）识别内在和人际促进者和障碍 通过八个重点向非裔美国人家庭传播基因检测和级联检测 （2）为非裔美国人家庭制定量身定制的电子健康干预措施，鼓励他们接受 建议通过改善有关基因检测结果和目标的沟通来进行级联基因检测 行为改变的驱动因素和障碍（例如，知识，态度，沟通和测试的技能）;（3） 对30个家庭进行干预的试点测试，以评估干预的可行性、可接受性和 参与并探索其对级联测试的潜在影响。埃利斯博士的指导团队在以下方面拥有专业知识： 她的每一个关键发展领域。在完成K 01奖项后，Ellis博士将拥有专业知识， 成为一名独立的调查员，进行以家庭为基础的干预研究，以改善癌症 非裔美国人家庭的癌症风险增加。

Research has shown that African Americans are less likely than other racial groups to engage in genetic testing for hereditary cancer syndromes, which can uncover genetic mutations that increase cancer risk. African Americans also have lower rates of cancer cascade testing, a process for providing genetic counseling and testing for relatives of African Americans who are known carriers of specific cancer-related genetic mutations. As clinical genetic testing becoming increasingly available, it is critically important to design interventions to reach all populations, especially those that have been traditionally underserved. Tailored strategies are particularly useful for increasing intervention access and uptake where health disparities exist. This career development award provides Dr. Ellis the opportunity to develop and test a family-tailored intervention to increase cancer cascade testing among African Americans. This award focuses on strengthening the investigator’s skills in intervention research and cancer genetics. Her long-term career goal is to become an independent investigator with expertise in conducting family-based intervention research to improve cancer outcomes among African Americans. Dr. Ellis’ graduate-level training in public health (health behavior and education) and social work (interpersonal practice with individuals and families), and postdoctoral training in cancer health disparities, puts her in a unique position to develop interventions that attend to both the psychosocial and behavioral aspects of cancer genetic testing for African American families. The career development goals and mentoring plan include courses and workshops; guided mentoring, including directed readings with mentors; experiential learning, including shadowing in a cancer genetics clinic and intervention development, testing, and evaluation; tailored health messaging development; attendance and participation at professional conferences; and, manuscript and grant writing and submissions. These activities support the execution of the specific aims, which are to: (1) Identify intrapersonal and interpersonal facilitators and barriers to African American family communication about genetic testing and cascade testing through eight focus groups; (2) Develop a tailored, eHealth intervention for African American families that encourages uptake of recommended cascade genetic testing by improving communication about genetic testing results and targeting drivers of and barriers to behavior change (e.g., knowledge, attitudes, skills for communication and testing); (3) Conduct a pilot test of the intervention with 30 families to evaluate intervention feasibility, acceptability and engagement and explore its potential impact on cascade testing. Dr. Ellis’ mentoring team has expertise in each of her key developmental areas. At the completion of this K01 award, Dr. Ellis will have the expertise to become an independent investigator who conducts family-based intervention research to improve cancer outcomes with African American families with increased cancer risk.