Burnout represents a critical disruption in an individual's relationship with work, resulting in a state of exhaustion in which one's occupational value and capacity to perform are questioned. Burnout can negatively affect an individual's personal life, as well as employers in terms of decreased work quality, patient/client satisfaction, and employee retention. Occupational stress is a known contributor to burnout and occurs as a result of employment requirements and factors intrinsic to the work environment. Empirical research examining genetic counselor-specific burnout is limited; however, existing data suggests that genetic counselors are at increased risk for burnout. To investigate the relationship between occupational stress and burnout in genetic counselors, we administered an online survey to members of three genetic counselor professional organizations. Validated measures included the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (an instrument measuring burnout on three subscales: exhaustion, cynicism, and professional efficacy) and the Occupational Stress Inventory-Revised (an instrument measuring occupational stress on 14 subscales). Of the 353 respondents, more than 40 % had either considered leaving or left their job role due to burnout. Multiple regression analysis yielded significant predictors for burnout risk. The identified sets of predictors account for approximately 59 % of the variance in exhaustion, 58 % of the variance in cynicism, and 43 % of the variance in professional efficacy. Our data confirm that a significant number of genetic counselors experience burnout and that burnout is correlated with specific aspects of occupational stress. Based on these findings, practice and research recommendations are presented.

We conducted integrative somatic–germline analyses by deeply sequencing 864 cancer-associated genes, complete genomes and transcriptomes for 300 mostly previously treated children and adolescents/young adults with cancer of poor prognosis or with rare tumors enrolled in the SickKids Cancer Sequencing (KiCS) program. Clinically actionable variants were identified in 56% of patients. Improved diagnostic accuracy led to modified management in a subset. Therapeutically targetable variants (54% of patients) were of unanticipated timing and type, with over 20% derived from the germline. Corroborating mutational signatures (SBS3/BRCAness) in patients with germline homologous recombination defects demonstrates the potential utility of PARP inhibitors. Mutational burden was significantly elevated in 9% of patients. Sequential sampling identified changes in therapeutically targetable drivers in over one-third of patients, suggesting benefit from rebiopsy for genomic analysis at the time of relapse. Comprehensive cancer genomic profiling is useful at multiple points in the care trajectory for children and adolescents/young adults with cancer, supporting its integration into early clinical management.

PURPOSE The SickKids Cancer Sequencing (KiCS) Program, launched in 2016, evaluates the clinical utility of paired tumor/germline Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) in pediatric oncology patients with hard-to-cure and rare cancers. In anticipation of further widespread adoption of NGS, we aimed to characterize the experiences and perspectives of adolescents and parents of patients who have already undergone NGS evaluation, focusing on the psychosocial impact and personal utility. METHODS Parents of patients with pediatric cancer and adolescent patients who have participated in KiCS were invited to participate in semistructured interviews. Transcripts were analyzed using an inductive content analytic approach. RESULTS Of 45 individuals invited, 22 parents and 10 adolescents were interviewed (71% response rate). Prominent psychosocial themes were low distress, relief, and sense of control; some expressed fear of the unknown. In exploring constructs of personal utility, parents highlighted hope for treatment options despite low expectations for results with clinical impact, whereas adolescents articulated altruistic motivations and less hope for personal clinical benefit. Bringing closure and answering the question of why the cancer occurred was a salient theme among both groups. Both parents and adolescents find benefit and clear decisional satisfaction with participation. No participants expressed regret. CONCLUSION This study suggests that parents and adolescents benefit from NGS evaluation beyond the return of clinically relevant results. Our findings lay the framework for future work evaluating the value of NGS in pediatric precision oncology care through assessment of patient-reported outcomes and experiences. These results also guide provision of pre- and post-test education and support, which will facilitate patient-centered delivery of NGS practices.