Do Women who Receive a Negative BRCA1/2 Risk Result Understand the Implications for Breast Cancer Risk?

Guan Y1, Condit CM2, Escoffery C3, Bellcross CA4, McBride CM3.

Author information

1: Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, yue.guan@emory.edu.
2: Department of Communication Studies, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA.
3: Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
4: Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS:

National guidelines endorse using evidence-based tools to identify those at risk for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC). This study aimed to evaluate whether women deemed not to be at increased risk of being a BRCA mutation carrier; the majority of those screened, recall, understand and accept the implications of these results for breast cancer risk.

METHODS:

We conducted an online survey with women (n = 148) who screened negative on a brief HBOC screener.

RESULTS:

While women tended to accept HBOC screener as accurate (range 9-45; mean 32, SD 5.0), less than half (43%) accurately recalled their result. Only 52% understood that they were at low risk of carrying a mutation, and just 34% correctly understood their breast cancer risk. African American women were less likely to recall (33 vs. 53% respectively, OR 0.5, p = 0.03), understand (42 vs. 63% respectively, OR 0.4, p = 0.02), and accept (mean 31 vs. 33 respectively, β -2.1, p = 0.02) the result compared to Whites.

CONCLUSIONS:

Our findings show that those at low risk of carrying a BRCA1/2 mutation had limited understanding of the distinction between mutation risk and breast cancer risk. Theory-based communication strategies are needed to increase the understanding of the implications of being at low risk for hereditary cancers.