Publication News - Jacqueline Hunter

PhD student Jacqueline Hunter is first author on the research article Delivering Trio Germline Whole Genome Sequencing to Patients Newly Diagnosed With Childhood Cancer: Healthcare Professionals' Perspectives of the PREDICT Study which was published in Cancer Medicine on 14 February 2025. 

Children diagnosed with cancer are increasingly receiving personalised care, informed by genetic testing which shows their predisposition to the disease.

This can help families understand the causes of the cancer, guide treatment, and inform future health decisions. But healthcare professionals report multiple logistical and resourcing issues are hindering the rollout of such testing, new research published in Cancer Medicine shows.

Then there are the potential negative psychosocial impacts on families, says lead author PhD student Jacqueline Hunter, from University of Melbourne Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Newborn Health and UNSW's School of Clinical Medicine and the Behavioural Sciences Unit at the Kids Cancer Centre, Sydney Children's Hospital.

"The potential psychological impact of uncovering a heritable cancer risk is a significant concern for families. Health professional can also be deterred from offering such testing, due to fear of causing families additional distress at an already difficult time," she said.
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"To ensure the routine integration of this important testing, we need targeted strategies to tackle logistical challenges and reduce potential stress for families. The findings of this study provide important insights that will help this testing become part of routine care for children with cancer.” Hunter, J.D., Hetherington, K., Wakefield, C.E., Tucker, K.M., McGill, B.C., Grant, A., Fuentes-Bolanos, N.A., Padhye, B., Gleeson, M., Bhatia, K. and Peate, M. (2025), Delivering Trio Germline Whole Genome Sequencing to Patients Newly Diagnosed With Childhood Cancer: Healthcare Professionals' Perspectives of the PREDICT Study. Cancer Med, 14: e70680. https://doi.org/10.1002/cam4.70680