EGAPP Working Group Releases
Three New Genetic Testing Recommendations

The independent Evaluation of Genomic Applications in Practice and Prevention (EGAPP) Working Group, supported by the Office of Public Health Genomics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has released new evidence-based recommendations on the validity and utility of three genetic tests currently being used in clinical practice. The new recommendation statements address the following:

• Can Tumor Gene Expression Profiling Improve Outcomes in Patients with Breast Cancer?

• Can UGT1A1 Genotyping Reduce Morbidity and Mortality in Patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Treated with Irinotecan?

• Genetic Testing Strategies in Newly Diagnosed Individuals with Colorectal Cancer Aimed at Reducing Morbidity and Mortality from Lynch Syndrome in Relatives

The EGAPP Working Group recommendations address the need for reliable, objective information on genetic and genomic tests for chronic diseases that are a major burden in the U.S. population. Health care providers, consumers, and policy makers can use this information to make more informed decisions about the appropriate use of these tests in health care.

In addition, the EGAPP Working Group has released their methods and processes for systematically collecting, analyzing, and grading evidence on analytic and clinical validity and clinical utility of genetic and genomic tests. EGAPP represents a transparent process and provides free access to its methods, which may be especially helpful for other groups conducting evidence-based reviews of genomic applications.

The new recommendations and EGAPP methods and processes are published in the January 2009 issue of Genetics in Medicine.