Healthy women with a family history of breast cancer: impact of a tailored genetic counseling intervention on risk perception, knowledge, and menopausal therapy decision making.
BACKGROUND
Women with a family history of breast cancer have several menopausal therapy options, including tamoxifen, hormone therapy (HT), alternative medications, or no treatment. This complex decision should be based on each woman's risk to develop breast cancer, menopausal symptoms, preferences, and risks for other conditions. The authors determined the effects of a personalized risk assessment and genetic counseling intervention on knowledge, risk perception, and decision making in a group of healthy women who had a first-degree relative with breast cancer.


METHODS
Forty-eight cancer-free menopausal women age > or =40 years who had at least one first-degree relative with breast cancer were randomized to a genetic counseling intervention or control. Intervention participants were given a personalized risk assessment for breast cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, and uterine cancer based on family history and personal health data. Knowledge, risk perception, and medication usage were measured at baseline, 1 month, and 6 months.


RESULTS
Knowledge was higher in the intervention group at both follow-up time points postintervention. Perceived risk for developing breast cancer was significantly lower and more accurate in the intervention group at 1 and 6 months postintervention than at baseline, as was perceived risk of developing heart disease. Although the counseling intervention did affect both knowledge and risk perception, overall, both groups were reluctant to take any form of menopausal therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
A personalized risk assessment and genetic counseling intervention improves patient knowledge and risk perception; however, it is unclear that the intervention influenced menopausal treatment decisions.
Matloff
Ellen T
ET
Yale University School of Medicine, Yale Cancer Center, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA. Ellen.Matloff@yale.edu
Moyer
Anne
A
Shannon
Kristen M
KM
Niendorf
Kristin B
KB
Col
Nananda F
NF
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D005817:Genetic Counseling / Q000379:methods*; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D005820:Genetic Testing / Q000523:psychology; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods; D018570:Risk Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016387:Women's Health