Race and family history assessment for breast cancer.
OBJECTIVE
Studies have demonstrated disparities in breast cancer screening between racial and ethnic groups. Knowledge of a woman's family history of breast cancer is important for initiating early screening interventions. The purpose of this study was to determine whether differences exist in the collection of family history information based on patient race.


METHODS
Cross-sectional patient telephone interview and medical record review.


METHODS
Eleven primary care practices in the Greater Boston area, all associated with Harvard Medical School teaching hospitals.


METHODS
One thousand seven hundred fifty-nine women without a prior history of breast cancer who had been seen at least once by their primary care provider during the prior year.


RESULTS
Data were collected on patients regarding self-reported race, family breast cancer history information, and breast cancer screening interventions. Twenty-six percent (462/1,759) of the sample had documentation within their medical record of a family history for breast cancer. On multivariate analysis, after adjusting for patient age, education, number of continuous years in the provider's practice, language, and presentation with a breast complaint, white women were more likely to be asked about a breast cancer family history when compared to nonwhite women (odds ratio, 1.68; 95% confidence interval, 1.21 to 2.35).


CONCLUSIONS
The majority of women seen by primary care providers do not have documentation of a family breast cancer history assessment within their medical record. White women were more likely to have family breast cancer information documented than nonwhites.
Murff
Harvey J
HJ
Division of General Internal Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and Department of Veterans Affairs, Nashville, TN 37212-2637, USA. Harvey.Murff@med.va.gov
Byrne
Daniel
D
Haas
Jennifer S
JS
Puopolo
Ann Louise
AL
Brennan
Troyen A
TA
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000235:genetics; D016504:Breast Self-Examination; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008487:Medical History Taking / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors