Posttraumatic stress associated with cancer history and BRCA1/2 genetic testing.
OBJECTIVE
A subset of women who are at elevated cancer risk due to family history exhibit evidence of cancer-specific distress. These stress responses may represent symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The present study assessed rates of PTSD related to personal or family cancer history and BRCA1/2 testing.


METHODS
Participants were 84 women enrolled in a larger project focused on genetic testing decisions. Semistructured diagnostic interviews were used to identify instances of threshold and subthreshold PTSD.


RESULTS
Results indicated that 16.7% of the women reported current threshold or subthreshold PTSD related to personal or family cancer history. An additional 26.2% reported past-only cancer-related threshold or subthreshold PTSD. Of the 65 women who received BRCA1/2 results and completed the test-related PTSD module, only 7.7% reported threshold or subthreshold PTSD related to the genetic testing process. However, when rates were examined based on carrier status, 25.0% of BRCA1/2 carriers reported test-related threshold or subthreshold PTSD compared with only 10.0% of variants and 2.3% of noncarriers.


CONCLUSIONS
Results from this study suggest that both personal and family cancer diagnoses can be significant stressors for a subset of high-risk women. Rates of threshold and subthreshold PTSD related to genetic testing appear to be less common, although carriers may be at higher risk for significant posttraumatic symptoms.
Hamann
Heidi A
HA
Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. hamann@wsu.edu
Somers
Tamara J
TJ
Smith
Ashley W
AW
Inslicht
Sabra S
SS
Baum
Andrew
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019313:BRCA1 Protein / Q000235:genetics*; D024682:BRCA2 Protein / Q000235:genetics*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D005820:Genetic Testing / Q000523:psychology*; D006579:Heterozygote; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology
D019313:BRCA1 Protein; D024682:BRCA2 Protein