Genetics of early cancer detection behaviours in Australian female twins.
Early detection of cervical and breast cancers is an important component of women's health strategy. Screening programmes, health professional interventions and preventive behaviours such as breast self-examination provide the means to this end. Our twin study sought to identify the relative influence of environmental and genetic factors on liability to early cancer detection behaviours, including use of cervical smear tests, mammograms, and breast examination. Additive genetic and random environmental effects models gave the best, most parsimonious fit to the data for each early cancer detection behaviour. The heritability of liability to Pap smear use was 66%, mammogram use 50%, breast examination by a doctor or nurse 38% and breast self-examination 37%. Genetic influences were behaviour-specific; there was no evidence for a common genetic influence on the four behaviours. Potential covariates investigated included age, amount of contact between co-twins, educational level and personality traits such as harm avoidance, novelty seeking, reward dependence, neuroticism, anxiety, depression, self-esteem, perceived control, interpersonal dependency and ways of coping. None were significant. The study was carried out before the implementation of national screening programmes with media campaigns to increase participation rates. Hence follow-up investigation, including data on regularity of behaviours, would be informative.
Cooperative Research Centre for Discovery of Genes for Common Human Diseases, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, Australia. sueT@qimr.edu.au
S A
SA
Treloar
C A
CA
McDonald
N G
NG
Martin
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000235:genetics; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016504:Breast Self-Examination; D003858:Dependency, Psychological; D003863:Depression / Q000235:genetics; D004522:Educational Status; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008327:Mammography; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D009497:Neurotic Disorders / Q000235:genetics; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D010551:Personality / Q000235:genetics; D012649:Self Concept; D012801:Sibling Relations; D014429:Twins, Dizygotic / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology*; D014430:Twins, Monozygotic / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014626:Vaginal Smears