Robert Michel, Editor at The Dark Report, on Gap in Genetic Testing

Why aren’t more folks receiving genetic testing?In a study published in JAMA last year, Stanford cancer researcher Alison Kurian found a surprising gap between those who need genetic testing and those who receive it.  Among more than a million patients with cancer, only 6.8% underwent germline testing.Today, we begin a new series exploring this gap in testing with Robert Michel.  He's the Editor-in-Chief at The Dark Report, reporting on the laboratory industry since 1996.   Robert says the problem is multi-faceted and argues that the leading cause is that it takes years for physicians to learn about a new area of medicine.“Factor number one is simply the speed of genetic science,” says Robert.  "You’ve got to train the physician and for them to be able to incorporate genetics in their practice.  It can take years for the average practitioner.  Part two,” he says, "is reimbursement.”We spend the bulk of the interview discussing the role of pathologists in genetic testing, who he refers to as "the guardians of the medical purse."Robert also puts on the leading conference in the lab testing industry, the Executive War College Conference on Diagnostics, Clinical Laboratory, and Pathology Management.  The conference for 2024 is coming up from April 30th to May 2nd in New Orleans.