INTEGRATING FUNCTIONAL PRECISION MEDICINE WITH PATIENT AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT (PPIE) IN THE PEAR-GLIO TRIAL FOR BRAIN TUMOUR TREATMENT OPTIMISATION

Abstract AIMS PEAR-GLIO evaluates the feasibility of a functional precision medicine (FPM) platform test to predict therapeutic sensitivity for drugs and combinatorial regimens using patient-derived tumour samples. The PPIE workstream explored the perceptions of FPM, barriers to trial participation, strategies to improve engagement as well as a better understanding on the utility, accessibility, and challenges of the FPM test. METHODS As part of the PEAR-GLIO trial, two PPIE sessions were conducted with 43 participants (27 patients and 15 caregivers) and a focus group/online survey for healthcare professionals (distributed to 128 healthcare professionals). We analysed responses and discussion to identify themes and inform trial processes. These sessions were facilitated by an experienced Research Practitioner and conducted with brainstrust. RESULTS Participants expressed enthusiasm for the FPM platform, highlighting its potential to improve outcomes by enabling personalised treatment decisions and shared decision-making with clinicians. Concerns included lim- ited tissue availability for testing, the need for clear communication about test results, and possible emotional impacts if treatments were unavailable. Recommendations included early trial enrollment (pre-surgery), trans- parent result reporting, and educating healthcare professionals about FPM. Healthcare professionals wanted to: understand the validation as it improved the comfortability for them to use to the test; know where it fits into clinical pathway and have some data. Notably, baseline skepticism about FPM shifted to optimism and hopefulness by the end of the sessions, as evidenced by positive word cloud responses. CONCLUSION Incorporating PPIE into the PEAR-GLIO study fostered a deeper understanding of patient and caregiver needs, revealing broad support for FPM and valuable insights to refine trial design. By addressing concerns and en- hancing patient-clinician collaboration, the platform has the potential to improve brain tumour care and a vance precision oncology. Future work will extend to healthcare professional perspectives and broader dissemination of trial findings to ensure equitable access and adoption.