title: Acceptance for preventive genetic testing and prophylactic surgery in women with a family history of breast and gynaecological cancers.
abstract: The fear of family members of patients with breast or gynaecologic cancer of developing a similar disease is often high. We investigated the acceptance for genetic testing of untested women with a positive family history and their attitude for prophylactic surgery. A total of 659 women with a familial history of breast or gynaecologic cancer were asked to answer a questionnaire regarding their interest in genetic testing for breast cancer as well as for gynaecologic carcinoma and their interest in prophylactic surgery. Genetic testing is seen to be accepted by the majority of participants: 85.0 and 77.8% chose a genetic test for breast and gynaecologic cancer, respectively. Prophylactic surgery was much less chosen; prophylactic mastectomy as well as prophylactic hysterectomy or bilateral prophylactic oophorectomy was an option only for a minority of women. Genetic testing for risk assessment of healthy women with a positive family history was observed to be accepted by a majority of participants. Prophylactic surgery was an option only for a minority and was not acceptable for most of the women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany. sven.ackermann@gyn.imed.uni-erlangen.de
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ackermann
authors.forename: Michael Patrick
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Lux
authors.forename: Peter Andreas
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Fasching
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Strissl
authors.forename: Stefan Peter
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Renner
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Poehls
authors.forename: Hans-Georg
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Bender
authors.forename: Matthias Wilhelm
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Beckmann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005820:Genetic Testing / Q000523:psychology*; D005833:Genital Neoplasms, Female / Q000235:genetics / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy; D008408:Mastectomy; D008487:Medical History Taking; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology*