No news is (not necessarily) good news: impact of preliminary results for BRCA1 mutation searches.
OBJECTIVE
Many women who have had breast or ovarian cancer who are undergoing tests for the presence of germline mutations in the genes will receive a result that is inconclusive. As this continuing uncertainty may have a detrimental effect on their psychological well-being and it is possible that such results will be misinterpreted as indicating that no mutation is present, studying their effect is important.


METHODS
Sixty-one women undergoing such tests completed questionnaires 2 weeks after their blood was taken and at 1 week and 6 months after receiving a preliminary "inconclusive" result, i.e., indicating that two thirds of the gene had been tested and no mutation had been found so far.


RESULTS
Perceived likelihood of having a mutation and perceptions of cancer risk significantly decreased after receipt of the interim result. There were no changes in levels of psychological distress and worry about cancer, in intentions to have mammograms, to carry out breast self-examination, or to have prophylactic surgery.


CONCLUSIONS
The continuing uncertainty does not seem to have increased distress; however, it is possible that the inconclusive result is being interpreted as a "good news" result, in view of the fact that perceptions of risk decrease after receipt of the result.
Bish
Alison
A
Cancer Research UK London Psychosocial Oncology Group, St. Thomas's Hospital, London, England.
Sutton
Stephen
S
Jacobs
Christine
C
Levene
Sara
S
Ramirez
Amanda
A
Hodgson
Shirley
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019313:BRCA1 Protein / Q000235:genetics*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005817:Genetic Counseling; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D005820:Genetic Testing / Q000523:psychology*; D018095:Germ-Line Mutation; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology*; D010465:Perception; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D019313:BRCA1 Protein