Brief report: attitudes and barriers toward genetic testing in pleural mesothelioma: a nationwide Italian survey

Abstract

Pleural mesothelioma (PM) is a malignancy with a relevant genetic component, with germline mutations identified in up to 12% of cases. International guidelines recommend universal germline testing; however, its implementation in routine clinical practice remains inconsistent. This nationwide survey aimed to assess current clinical practice, attitudes, and barriers related to genetic testing among Italian specialists within the Mesothelioma Team Italy (MET-I) network. A 24-item questionnaire was distributed to MET-I members in 2025, exploring access to testing, clinical use, and perceived obstacles to both germline and somatic DNA sequencing. Forty-five physicians responded (53.6%). Although access to germline testing was relatively high (77.8%), only 6.7% of respondents routinely recommended it. Conversely, somatic NGS was widely available (95.6%) and primarily used for clinical trial screening (66.7%). The main barriers to germline testing included costs (62.2%), limited access to genetic counseling (51.1%), and insufficient physician awareness (48.8%). Despite the availability of genetic testing technologies, germline genetic testing in PM is underutilized in Italy.

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