This learning series is accredited for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™  from April 15, 2025 until April 15, 2027.

Watch the recording and complete your evaluation here.

In this webinar, you will hear from genetics counselors in the clinical and laboratory space, along with Dr. Pritchard and Dr. Shirts, updating you on genetic testing options, variant classification, and future lab directions. The group will provide insight and resources to help you and your clinic in test selection and interpretation.

Educational Objectives

Upon completion of this educational activity, participants should be able to:

• Differentiate between germline versus somatic genetic variants.
• Recognize utility of paired tumor genetic testing in oncology
• Identify situations where family VUS testing may be appropriate.
• Assess challenges with patient communication of variant reclassifications.
• Utilize future laboratory testing in cancer genetics.

Target Audience

This activity is designed to educate practitioners, medical regulatory staff, and the public.

Speakers:

	Colin Pritchard MD, PhD Dr. Pritchard is a Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at the University of Washington and Program Director for Cancer Precision Diagnostics for the Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine.  He also serves as the Co-Director of the Genetics and Solid Tumors Laboratory that services the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center.  Dr. Pritchard undertook his graduate and medical training at the University of Washington.  The Pritchard laboratory focuses on oncology molecular diagnostics, particularly the source and utility of cell-free nucleic acid biomarkers in blood, and the development of innovative molecular diagnostics for the identification of DNA repair gene mutations that can guide therapeutic decision-making.  His clinical work focuses on applications of next-generation sequencing gene panels for cancer risk assessment and precision treatment.  He has led the development and implementation of the ColoSeq™ Lynch and Polyposis Syndrome Panel and the UW-OncoPlex™ Cancer Gene Panel in current clinical use for cancer patients and their families.  In 2021 Dr. Pritchard was awarded the C2 Catalyst for Precision Medicine Award from Scientific American
	Brian Shirts, MD, PhD Dr. Shirts’ work in the University of Washington, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology focuses on improving resources and communication for hereditary cancer prevention. In his clinical work as a molecular pathologist, he saw that many people get cancer because they do not know about hereditary cancer risk that runs in their families. His research to address this developed into ConnectMyVariant, a non-profit that leverages genetic, genealogy, and social networking technology to help people across the world find and connect with others who have the same pathogenic variants. This allows people to share preventions stories, find common ancestors, and encourage each other to let more relatives know about inherited cancer risk.
	Fern Alagala, MS, CGC Fern Alagala, MS, CGC is a licensed genetic counselor at the University of Washington in the department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology. In her current role, she serves as a Laboratory Genetic Counselor for the Genetics and Solid Tumors Laboratory focusing on next-generation sequencing panels for cancer risk assessment as well as cell-free fetal DNA testing for prenatal aneuploidy risk. Fern serves as a laboratory rotation supervisor as well as a guest instructor for the University of Washington Genetic Counseling Program. She earned her Master’s of Science degree in Genetic Counseling from the University of Washington in 2023.
	Angie Jacobson, MS, CGC, LGC, Angie Jacobson, MS, CGC, LGC, is a board-certified genetic counselor and Lead Laboratory Genetic Counselor at the University of Washington, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Genetics and Solid Tumors laboratory. Ms. Jacobson has been working in hereditary cancer for over 20 years and for the last ten years has worked to implement paired tumor NGS testing in the diagnostic work up for unexplained mismatch repair deficiency and more recently colon polyposis.
	Madilyn Head, MS, LCGC - Moderator Madilyn Head, MS, CGC is a licensed research genetic counselor at the University of Washington eMERGE IV study. Madilyn is also a Warren Alpert Fellow at the Washington State Department of Health. Her research interests broadly focus on integrating more genetic services and counseling in the primary care setting. She earned her Master of Science degree in Genetic Counseling from the University of Washington in 2023.

Continuing Medical Education

Accreditation Statement

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of the Federation of State Medical Boards, the Washington Medical Commission, and the Washington State Department of Health. The Federation of State Medical Boards is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Credit Designation Statement

The Federation of State Medical Boards designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Course Director

Pamela Kohlmeier MD, JD, FACEP
Washington Medical Commission

Commercial Support

This learning activity is not funded by any commercial entity.

Disclosure Declaration

As an organization accredited by the ACCME, the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) requires that the content of CME activities and related materials provide balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor. All faculty, planners, and others in a position to control continuing medical education content participating in an accredited continuing education activity are required to disclose all financial relationships with ineligible companies. Ineligible companies are organizations whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients. Faculty (authors, presenters, speakers and planners) are encouraged to provide a balanced view of therapeutic options by utilizing either generic names or other options available when utilizing trade names to ensure impartiality.

Faculty members are asked to disclose all financial relationships they have had in the past 24 months with ineligible companies regardless of the potential relevance of each relationship to the education and of the amount. The FSMB has implemented a mechanism to identify and resolve all conflicts of interest prior to the activity. The intent of this policy is to identify potential conflicts of interest so participants can form their own judgments with full disclosure of the facts. Participants will be asked to evaluate whether the speaker’s outside interests reflect a possible bias in the planning or presentation of the activity. 

Brian Shirts, MD, PhD, is President and Board Member for ConnectMyVariant, and Consultant for Constantiam Biosciences. All relevant financial relationships have been mitigated.                                                               

None of the other speakers or planners for this activity have relevant financial relationships to disclose with ineligible companies.

Disclosure of Unlabeled Uses

This educational activity may contain discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. For additional information about approved uses, including approved indications, contraindications, and warnings, please refer to the prescribing information for each product, or consult the Physicians’ Desk Reference.

Faculty and Staff Disclosures

No speaker or persons in control of content reported intent to reference unlabeled/unapproved uses of drugs or products.