title: Psychosocial and Clinical Factors Associated with Family Communication of Cancer Genetic Test Results among Women Diagnosed with Breast Cancer at a Young Age.
abstract: Genetic test results have medical implications beyond the patient that extend to biological family members. We examined psychosocial and clinical factors associated with communication of genetic test results within families. Women (N = 1080) diagnosed with breast cancer at age 40 or younger completed an online survey; 920 women that reported prior cancer genetic testing were included in analysis. We examined the proportion of immediate family members to whom they communicated genetic test results, and built multivariable regression models to examine clinical and psychosocial variables associated with the proportion score. Participants were most likely to communicate test results to their mother (83 %) and least likely to their son (45 %). Participants who carried a BRCA mutation (OR = 1.34; 95 % CI = 1.06, 1.70), had higher interest in genomic information (OR = 1.55; 95 % CI = 1.26, 1.91) and lower genetic worry (OR = 0.91; 95 % CI = 0.86, 0.96) communicated genetic test results to a greater proportion of their immediate family members. Participants with a BRCA1/2 mutation shared their genetic test results with more male family members (OR = 1.72; 95 % CI = 1.02, 2.89). Our findings suggest that patients with high worry about genetic risks, low interest in genomic information, or receive a negative genetic test result will likely need additional support to encourage family communication.
authors.affiliation: Department of Communication, University of Utah, 255 Central Campus Drive, LNCO, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA. Ashley.Elrick@hci.utah.edu.
authors.forename: Ashley
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Elrick
authors.affiliation: College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
authors.forename: Sato
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ashida
authors.affiliation: Division of Public Health Sciences, Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ivanovich
authors.affiliation: Division of Public Health Sciences, Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lyons
authors.affiliation: Social and Behavioral Research Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Barbara B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Biesecker
authors.affiliation: Division of Public Health Sciences, Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Melody S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Goodman
authors.affiliation: Department of Communication, University of Utah, 255 Central Campus Drive, LNCO, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA.|Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
authors.forename: Kimberly A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Kaphingst
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology*; D003142:Communication; D030881:Disclosure; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D019398:Genes, BRCA1; D024522:Genes, BRCA2; D005817:Genetic Counseling; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005820:Genetic Testing; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation
keywords: BRCA 1/2; Breast cancer; Family communication; Genetics