Are surgeons effective counsellors for women with a family history of breast cancer?
OBJECTIVE
In the TRACE (Trial of Genetic Assessment in Breast Cancer) study, the data on the time spent by the surgeon with the women with a family history of breast cancer was analysed with respect to the changes in the anxiety scores and breast cancer worry scores. We wanted to see whether longer consultation times with surgeons improved these scores.


METHODS
In the TRACE study, women with a family history of breast cancer attended a standard breast clinic to be seen by a surgeon and nurse specialist. Anxiety scores and breast cancer worry scores of these women were recorded prior to attending the clinic and immediately after their appointment.


RESULTS
In the 274 evaluable women, there was a significant improvement in the anxiety and breast cancer worries after surgical consultation but it did not correlate with the length of surgical consultation. However, women in the high-risk group showed a significant reduction of breast cancer worry score with longer consultation (P=0.032).


CONCLUSIONS
Spending more time with the women with a family history of breast cancer does not help to reduce anxiety scores and breast cancer worry scores except in the subset of women who were told that their risk of breast cancer was high.
Goyal
S
S
University Department of Surgery, University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff, UK.
Bennett
P
P
Sweetland
H M
HM
Monypenny
I J
IJ
Webster
D J T
DJ
Mansel
R E
RE
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D013502:General Surgery; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D016387:Women's Health