title: Risk Perception and Psychological Distress in Genetic Counselling for Hereditary Breast and/or Ovarian Cancer.
abstract: Oncological Genetic Counselling (CGO) allows the identification of a genetic component that increases the risk of developing a cancer. Individuals' psychological reactions are influenced by both the content of the received information and the subjective perception of their own risk of becoming ill or being a carrier of a genetic mutation. This study included 120 participants who underwent genetic counselling for breast and/or ovarian cancer. The aim of the study was to examine the relation between their cancer risk perception and the genetic risk during CGO before receiving genetic test results, considering the influence of some psychological variables, in particular distress, anxiety and depression. Participants completed the following tools during a psychological interview: a socio-demographic form, Cancer Risk Perception (CRP) and Genetic Risk Perception (GRP), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Distress Thermometer (DT). The data seem to confirm our hypothesis. Positive and significant correlations were found between the observed variables. Moreover, genetic risk perception determined an increase in depressive symptomatology and cancer risk perception led to an increase in anxious symptomatology, specifically in participants during cancer treatment. The present results suggest the importance of assessing genetic and cancer risk perception in individuals who undergo CGO, to identify those who are at risk of a decrease in psychological well-being and of developing greater psychological distress.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical, Oncology and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro, n. 129, 90127, Palermo, Italy. giuseppe.cicero@unipa.it.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cicero
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical, Oncology and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro, n. 129, 90127, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De Luca
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical, Oncology and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro, n. 129, 90127, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dorangricchia
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lo Coco
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Parisien de Psychologie Sociale, Université Paris 8 Vincennes Saint Denis, Saint Denis, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Guarnaccia
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical, Oncology and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro, n. 129, 90127, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fanale
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical, Oncology and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro, n. 129, 90127, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Calò
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical, Oncology and Oral Sciences, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro, n. 129, 90127, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Russo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005817:Genetic Counseling / Q000523:psychology*; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology*; D010465:Perception; D012307:Risk Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology
keywords: BRCA 1/2; Cancer risk perception; Distress; Genetic counselling; Genetic risk perception