Promoting equitable genetic testing in ovarian cancer: the demonstration of improvement for molecular ovarian cancer testing (DEMO) project

Parallel genetic testing (testing for both tumour and germline gene changes) after the diagnosis of ovarian cancer should be considered the standard of care and is crucial to support treatment decisions. The demonstration of improvement for molecular ovarian cancer testing (DEMO) project aimed to develop patient-focused tools to promote equitable genetic care in diverse communities with high proportions of patients with limited English proficiency and biopsy guidelines to address the variations in specimen quality in different geographical regions in the UK. Our three work packages (WP) aimed to promote awareness by addressing the information gaps in different community groups (WP1), develop infrastructure to evaluate the different tissue collection pathways in different regions (WP2) and support continuing professional development (CPD) to encourage best practices with the involvement of patients (WP3). Our output included a multimedia multilanguage information package with paired National Health Service-branded written materials to support genetic testing after ovarian cancer diagnosis (https://ovarian.org.uk/demo-uk/), a scalable database to enable a multisite audit of parallel genetic testing pathways and a collection of CPD events that had patient involvement as an essential component. In addition, we have collaborated with patient and community groups to contribute to a national consensus guidance on genetic testing in ovarian cancer. Our co-production work has been recognised by local and regional awards as an exemplar for patient and public involvement (PPI). This has supported the start of a legacy co-production group in gynaeoncology (https://www.dhlnetwork.com/gohildas) to address the critical unmet need for sustainable and equity-oriented PPI to advocate for underserved communities. The DEMO project has contributed to raising awareness of the importance of equitable genetic care in ovarian cancer. We will continue to build on this groundwork to support future quality improvement projects and research, with the ultimate goal of improving the outcomes of patients with ovarian cancer.