RESUMO Educação em genética é fundamental para o entendimento dos aspectos biológicos do binômio saúde-doença. Além disso, com a mudança do perfil epidemiológico, as doenças com determinantes genéticos tornaram-se mais relevantes como problema de saúde pública. Assim, manejar estas doenças, tanto em pacientes como em suas famílias, de forma ética, diligente e considerando a lógica e as políticas do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS), passa a ser competência desejável para todos os médicos, impactando sua formação na graduação. Entendendo esta questão como absolutamente relevante, a Sociedade Brasileira de Genética Médica e Genômica (SBGM) definiu as competências desejáveis em genética para os médicos do Brasil, articuladas às políticas públicas relacionadas à área existentes no País. Este artigo é um ensaio teórico que objetiva contextualizar e apresentar o perfil de competência em genética para médicos proposto pela SBGM. O perfil de competência, apresentado e discutido neste ensaio, foi estruturado com base em quatro competências essenciais: (a) reconhecer a necessidade de educação continuada, examinando regularmente a sua própria competência clínica; (b) identificar indivíduos que apresentem ou possam desenvolver uma doença genética e saber como e quando encaminhá-los para aconselhamento genético; (c) manejar pacientes com doenças genéticas e/ou defeitos congênitos no âmbito da sua atuação profissional; (d) promover e estimular práticas clínicas e de educação em saúde, objetivando a prevenção de doenças genéticas e defeitos congênitos. Conhecimentos, habilidades e atitudes necessários para alcançar essas quatro competências foram elencados. Dessa forma, é apresentado um referencial teórico, baseado em competências, para apoiar o ensino da genética durante a graduação em Medicina. Defende-se a adoção deste perfil de competência mínimo em genética em todas as escolas médicas brasileiras com a finalidade de formar um médico mais adequado às atuais demandas do SUS. Adicionalmente, esse perfil de competência pode subsidiar ações de educação profissional permanente na área da genética, de forma a capacitar o recurso humano do SUS em relação às doenças genéticas e aos defeitos congênitos.

ABSTRACT Training in genetics is fundamental to understanding the biological aspects of the health-disease binomial. Moreover, with the change in the epidemiological profile, genetically determined disorders have become more relevant as a public health concern. Thus, managing these disorders in an ethical and diligent manner, both in patients and in their families, and considering the logic and policies of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS), has become a desirable competency for all physicians, impacting on their undergraduate training. Viewing this issue as relevant, the Brazilian Society of Medical Genetics and Genomics (SBGM) defined the desirable competencies in genetics for Brazilian physicians, tied to the public policies related to medical genetics in Brazil. This paper is a theoretical essay that aims to contextualize and present the competency profile in Genetics for physicians proposed by the SBGM. The proficiency profile, presented and discussed in this essay, was structured based on four essential competencies: (1) to recognise the necessity for continuing education, regularly examining one’s own clinical competency, identifying learning gaps and the advances of genetics and of genomics over time; (2) to identify individuals that present or can develop a genetic disorder and know how and when to refer the patient to a specialist in medical genetics; (3) to manage patients with previously diagnosed genetic disorders and/or birth defects, employing established clinical guidelines in the scope of their professional role; and (4) to promote and stimulate clinical and education practices aimed at preventing genetic disorders and birth defects. The knowledge, skills and attitudes required for attaining these four competencies were identified. Therefore, a competency-based theoretical reference is presented to support the teaching of genetics during medical training. It is proposed that this essential competency profile in genetics should be adopted in all Brazilian medical schools with the purpose of training physicians better prepared for the current demands of the SUS. Furthermore, this competency profile can support continuing professional education actions in the area of Genetics, in order to qualify SUS staff in relation to genetic disorders and birth defects.

Abstract Gastric cancer is considered to be the fifth highest incident tumor worldwide and the third leading cause of cancer deaths. Developing regions report a higher number of sporadic cases, but there are only a few local studies related to hereditary cases of gastric cancer in Brazil to confirm this fact. CDH1 germline mutations have been described both in familial and sporadic cases, but there is only one recent molecular description of individuals from Brazil. In this study we performed Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) to assess CDH1 germline mutations in individuals who match the clinical criteria for Hereditary Diffuse Gastric Cancer (HDGC), or who exhibit very early diagnosis of gastric cancer. Among five probands we detected CDH1 germline mutations in two cases (40%). The mutation c.1023T > G was found in a HDGC family and the mutation c.1849G > A, which is nearly exclusive to African populations, was found in an early-onset case of gastric adenocarcinoma. The mutations described highlight the existence of gastric cancer cases caused by CDH1 germline mutations in northern Brazil, although such information is frequently ignored due to the existence of a large number of environmental factors locally. Our report represent the first CDH1 mutations in HDGC described from Brazil by an NGS platform.