Breast cancer risks: some clinically useful approaches.
Information about breast cancer risk is often confusing and may even be misleading when presented as a comparison of one risk versus another. Frequently used comparison formats include relative risks, odds ratios, and proportional risk reductions. This paper discusses five areas of breast cancer risk--average risk, prognosis following a breast cancer diagnosis, risk associated with use of hormone replacement therapy at menopause, use of tamoxifen as prevention, and risks associated with BRCA mutations--to show the clarity and clinical usefulness that are obtained when risks are presented not as comparisons, but in absolute terms with a time frame.
Cancer Risk Assessment, Saint Francis Memorial Hospital, 824 Cragmont Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94708, USA. ptkelly@ptkelly.com
Patricia T
PT
Kelly
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D019398:Genes, BRCA1; D024522:Genes, BRCA2; D005820:Genetic Testing; D020249:Hormone Replacement Therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000627:therapeutic use
D013629:Tamoxifen