Cancer Worry, Perceived Risk and Cancer Screening in First-Degree Relatives of Patients with Familial Gastric Cancer.
Currently, there is a lack of evidence evaluating the psychological impact of cancer-related risk perception and worry in individuals at high risk for gastric cancer. We examined the relationships between perceived risk, cancer worry and screening behaviors among first-degree relatives (FDRs) of patients with familial gastric cancer. FDRs of patients diagnosed with familial gastric cancer with a non-informative genetic analysis were identified and contacted. Participants completed a telephone interview that assessed socio-demographic information, cancer risk perception, cancer worry, impact of worry on daily functioning, and screening behaviors. Twenty-five FDRs completed the telephone interview. Participants reported high levels of comparative and absolute cancer risk perception, with an average perceived lifetime risk of 54 %. On the other hand, cancer-related worry scores were low, with a significant minority (12 %) experiencing high levels of worry. Study participants exhibited high levels of confidence (median = 70 %) in the effectiveness of screening at detecting a curable cancer. Participants that had undergone screening in the past showed significantly lower levels of cancer-related worry compared to those that had never undergone screening. In conclusion, individuals at high-risk for gastric cancer perceived a very high personal risk of cancer, but reported low levels of cancer worry. This paradoxical result may be attributed to participants' high levels of confidence in the effectiveness of screening. These findings highlight the importance for clinicians to discuss realistic risk appraisals and expectations towards screening with unaffected members of families at risk for gastric cancer, in an effort to help mitigate anxiety and help with coping.
Faculty of Medicine, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
Jenny
J
Li
Department of Psychology, Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.|Zane Cohen Centre for Digestive Diseases, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.|Sinai Health System, Toronto, ON, Canada.|Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Tae L
TL
Hart
Zane Cohen Centre for Digestive Diseases, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Melyssa
M
Aronson
Department of Psychology, Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Cassandra
C
Crangle
Zane Cohen Centre for Digestive Diseases, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. agovindarajan@mtsinai.on.ca.|Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, 600 University Ave, Suite 1220, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1X5, Canada. agovindarajan@mtsinai.on.ca.|Sinai Health System, Toronto, ON, Canada. agovindarajan@mtsinai.on.ca.
Anand
A
Govindarajan
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000523:psychology*; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005820:Genetic Testing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009386:Neoplastic Syndromes, Hereditary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics; D013315:Stress, Psychological
Cancer worry; Distress; Familial gastric cancer; Risk perception; Screening