Top

Published in:

01-10-2007 | Original Research

The Impact of Breast Cancer Genetic Risk Assessment on Intentions to Perform Cancer Surveillance Behaviors

Authors: Paul Bennett, Clare Wilkinson, Jim Turner, Gethin Griffith, Barbara France, Kate Brain, Jonathon Gray

Published in: Journal of Genetic Counseling | Issue 5/2007

Abstract

One hundred and fifty-four women undergoing breast/ovarian cancer genetic risk assessment completed questionnaires at entry into the Cancer Genetic Service for Wales (CGSW) assessment program and following risk provision, mapping the strength of intentions to engage in a number of preventive/surveillance behaviors, including seeing specialists, breast self-examination, and involvement in screening programs, including mammography. A number of potential predictors of intentions were also assessed, including participants’ mood and emotional response to receiving risk information, the perceived benefits (in terms of reassurance and early disease detection) of engaging in each preventive behavior, and the perceived desires of their family and General Practitioner. Intentions to self-examine did not change following risk provision, although strength of intentions to engage in some other preventive behaviors did lessen. Family and General Practitioners appeared to be strong social influences on behavioral intentions, as were the perceived benefits of gaining reassurance and/or early detection of disease.

Abela, J. R., Brozina, K., & Seligman, M. E. (2004). A test of integration of the activation hypothesis and the diathesis-stress component of the hopelessness theory of depression. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 43, 111–128.PubMedCrossRef

Andersen, M. R., Smith, R., Meischke, H., Bowen, D., & Urban, N. (2003). Breast cancer worry and mammography use by women with and without a family history in a population-based sample. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, 12, 314–320.

Bowen, D. J., Alfano, C. M., McGregor, B. A., & Andersen, M. R. (2004). The relationship between perceived risk, affect, and health behaviors. Cancer Detection and Prevention, 28, 409–417.PubMedCrossRef

Brain, K., Norman, P., Gray, J., Rogers, C., Mansel, R., & Harper, P. (2002). A randomized trial of specialist genetic assessment: Psychological impact on women at different levels of familial breast cancer risk. British Journal of Cancer, 86, 233–238.PubMedCrossRef

Braithwaite, D., Emery, J., Walter, F., Prevost, A. T., & Sutton, S. (2006). Psychological impact of genetic counseling for familial cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Family Cancer, 5, 61–75.CrossRef

Buchanan, A. H., Skinner, C. S., Rawl, S. M., Moser, B. K., Champion, V. L., Scott, L. L., et al. (2005). Patients’ interest in discussing cancer risk and risk management with primary care physicians. Patient Education and Counseling, 57, 77–87.PubMedCrossRef

Cohen, M. (2006). Breast cancer early detection, health beliefs, and cancer worries in randomly selected women with and without a family history of breast cancer. Psychooncology, 15, 873–883.PubMedCrossRef

Friedman, L. C., Woodruff, A., Lane, M., Weinberg, A. D., Cooper, H. P., & Webb, J. A. (1995). Breast cancer screening behaviors and intentions among asymptomatic women 50 years of age and older. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 11, 218–223.PubMed

Fry, A., Campbell, H., Gudmunsdottir, H., Rush, R., Porteous, M., Gorman, D., et al. (1999). GPs’ views on their role in cancer genetics services and current practice. Family Practitioner, 16, 468–474.CrossRef

Fry, A., Cull, A., Appleton, S., Rush, R., Holloway, S., Gorman, D., et al. (2003). A randomised controlled trial of breast cancer genetics services in South East Scotland: Psychological impact. British Journal of Cancer, 89, 653–659.PubMedCrossRef

Hay, J. L., McCaul, K. D., & Magnan, R. E. (2006). Does worry about breast cancer predict screening behaviors? A meta-analysis of the prospective evidence. Preventive Medicine, 42, 401–408.PubMedCrossRef

Hopwood, P. (2005). Psychosocial aspects of risk communication and mutation testing in familial breast-ovarian cancer. Current Opinion in Oncology, 17, 340–344.PubMedCrossRef

Hopwood, P., Howell, A., Lalloo, F., & Evans, G. (2003). Do women understand the odds? Risk perceptions and recall of risk information in women with a family history of breast cancer. Community Genetics, 6, 214–223.PubMedCrossRef

Horowitz, M., Wilner, N., & Alvarez, W. (1979). Impact of Event Scale: A measure of subjective stress. Psychosomatic Medicine, 41, 209–218.PubMed

Janz, N. K., & Becker, M. H. (1984). The Health Belief Model: A decade later. Health Education Quarterly, 11, 1–47.PubMed

Lerman, C., Kash, K., & Stefanek, M. (1994). Younger women at increased risk for breast cancer: Perceived risk, psychological well-being, and surveillance behavior. Journal of the National Cancer Institute Monographs, 16, 171–176.PubMed

Martin, W., & Degner, L. (2006). Perception of risk and surveillance practices of women with a family history of breast cancer. Cancer Nursing, 29, 227–235.PubMedCrossRef

McInerney-Leo, A., Hadley, D., Kase, R. G., Giambarresi, T. R., Struewing, J. P., & Biesecker, B. B. (2006). BRCA1/2 testing in hereditary breast and ovarian cancer families. III: Risk perception and screening. American Journal of Medical Genetics A, 140, 2198–2206.CrossRef

Meiser, B., Butow, P. N., Barratt, A. L., Schnieden, V., Gattas, M., Kirk, J., et al. (2001). Long-term outcomes of genetic counseling in women at increased risk of developing hereditary breast cancer. Patient Education and Counseling, 44, 215–225.PubMedCrossRef

National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (2006). NICE clinical guideline 41. Familial breast cancer: The classification and care of women at risk of familial breast cancer in primary, secondary and tertiary care. London: NICE.

Powell-Cope, G. M., Lierman, L. M., Kasprzyk, D., Young, H. M., & Benoliel, J. Q. (1991). The theory of reasoned action in prediction of breast self-examination: A comparison of two studies. Health Care for Women International, 12, 51–61.PubMedCrossRef

Schwartz, M. D., Rimer, B. K., Daly, M., Sands, C., & Lerman, C. (1999). A randomized trial of breast cancer risk counseling: The impact on self-reported mammography use. American Journal of Public Health, 89, 924–926.PubMedCrossRef

Steadman, L., & Rutter, D. R. (2004). Belief importance and the theory of planned behaviour: Comparing modal and ranked modal beliefs in predicting attendance at breast screening. British Journal of Health Psychology, 9, 447–463.PubMedCrossRef

Trask, P. C., Paterson, A. G., Wang, C., Hayasaka, S., Milliron, K. J., & Blumberg, L. R. (2001). Cancer-specific worry interference in women attending a breast and ovarian cancer risk evaluation program: Impact on emotional distress and health functioning. Psychooncology, 10, 349–360.PubMedCrossRef

van Dijk, S., Otten, W., Zoeteweij, M. W., Timmermans, D. R., van Asperen, C. J., Breuning, M. H., et al. (2003). Genetic counselling and the intention to undergo prophylactic mastectomy: Effects of a breast cancer risk assessment. British Journal of Cancer, 88, 1675–1681.PubMedCrossRef

van Dooren, S., Rijnsburger A. J., Seynaeve, C., Kriege, A., Duivenvoorden, H. J., Bartels, C. C., et al. (2003) Psychological distress and breast self-examination frequency in women at increased risk for hereditary or familial breast cancer. Community Genetics, 6, 235–241.PubMedCrossRef

Watson, M., Foster, C., Eeles, R., Eccles, D., Ashley, S., & Davidson, R. (2004). Psychosocial impact of breast/ovarian (BRCA1/2) cancer-predictive genetic testing in a UK multi-centre clinical cohort. British Journal of Cancer, 91, 1787–1794.PubMedCrossRef

Watson, M., Kash, K. M., Homewood, J., Ebbs, S., Murday, V., & Eeles R. (2005). Does genetic counseling have any impact on management of breast cancer risk? Genet Test, 9, 167–174.PubMedCrossRef

Webb, T. L., & Sheeran, P. (2006). Does changing behavioral intentions engender behavior change? A meta-analysis of the experimental evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 132, 249–268.PubMedCrossRef

Zigmond, A. S., & Snaith, R. P. (1983). The hospital anxiety and depression scale. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 67, 361–370.PubMedCrossRef

Title: The Impact of Breast Cancer Genetic Risk Assessment on Intentions to Perform Cancer Surveillance Behaviors
Authors: Paul Bennett
Clare Wilkinson
Jim Turner
Gethin Griffith
Barbara France
Kate Brain
Jonathon Gray
Publication date: 01-10-2007
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: Journal of Genetic Counseling / Issue 5/2007
Print ISSN: 1059-7700
Electronic ISSN: 1573-3599
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10897-007-9100-9

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

The Impact of Breast Cancer Genetic Risk Assessment on Intentions to Perform Cancer Surveillance Behaviors

Abstract

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 5/2007

Genetics Support to Primary Care Practitioners—A Demonstration Project

Providing a Transcultural Genetic Counseling Service in the UK

Stigmatization, Culture and Counseling A Commentary on Growing Up and Living with NF1: a UK–Bangladeshi Case Study—by Santi Rozario

Distress and Family Functioning in Oncogenetic Counselling for Hereditary and Familial Breast and/or Ovarian Cancers

Infertility Counseling: A Comprehensive Handbook for Clinicians (2nd ed)

The Influence of Cancer-related Distress and Sense of Coherence on Anxiety and Depression in Patients with Hereditary Cancer