Skip to main content
PMC home page
Canadian Family Physician logoLink to Canadian Family Physician
. 2003 Jan;49:56–63.

Educating women about breast cancer. An intervention for women with a family history of breast cancer.

Ellen Warner 1, June C Carroll 1, Ruth E Heisey 1, Vivek Goel 1, Wendy S Meschino 1, H Lavina A Lickley 1, Brian D Doan 1, Pamela L Chart 1, Vanessa Orr 1, Shelley Lothian 1
PMCID: PMC2214123  PMID: 12602843

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate an "information aid" for women with a family history of breast cancer. DESIGN: Before-after descriptive study. SETTING: Family practices in Ontario. PARTICIPANTS: Of 405 randomly selected Ontario physician members of the College of Family Physician's of Canada's National Research System, 97 agreed to participate and to recruit three consecutive female patients with any family history of breast cancer. INTERVENTIONS: Patients completed a baseline questionnaire and, after reviewing the information aid, a satisfaction questionnaire. Four weeks later, they completed a third questionnaire. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Patient satisfaction, knowledge, worries related to breast cancer, risk perception, and attitudes toward screening. RESULTS: Of 203 patients recruited, 160 (79%) completed all three questionnaires. The information aid was rated excellent or very good by 91% of the women; 99% would recommend it to other women. Knowledge improved significantly; worry about breast cancer did not increase. CONCLUSION: The information aid is a useful resource for women and primary care physicians and could facilitate appropriate risk assessment and management of women with a family history of breast cancer.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (238.1 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Alexander N. E., Ross J., Sumner W., Nease R. F., Jr, Littenberg B. The effect of an educational intervention on the perceived risk of breast cancer. J Gen Intern Med. 1996 Feb;11(2):92–97. doi: 10.1007/BF02599584. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Autier P., Coibion M., Huet F., Grivegnee A. R. Transformation zone location and intraepithelial neoplasia of the cervix uteri. Br J Cancer. 1996 Aug;74(3):488–490. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1996.388. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Black W. C., Nease R. F., Jr, Tosteson A. N. Perceptions of breast cancer risk and screening effectiveness in women younger than 50 years of age. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1995 May 17;87(10):720–731. doi: 10.1093/jnci/87.10.720. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cull A., Miller H., Porterfield T., Mackay J., Anderson E. D., Steel C. M., Elton R. A. The use of videotaped information in cancer genetic counselling: a randomized evaluation study. Br J Cancer. 1998 Mar;77(5):830–837. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1998.135. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Cummings S. R., Eckert S., Krueger K. A., Grady D., Powles T. J., Cauley J. A., Norton L., Nickelsen T., Bjarnason N. H., Morrow M. The effect of raloxifene on risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women: results from the MORE randomized trial. Multiple Outcomes of Raloxifene Evaluation. JAMA. 1999 Jun 16;281(23):2189–2197. doi: 10.1001/jama.281.23.2189. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Degner L. F., Jerry L. M., Till J. E. Communication in cancer: report on the Terry Fox Workshop. CMAJ. 1991 Jun 1;144(11):1417-8, 1421-3. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Elwood J. M. Public health aspects of breast cancer gene testing in Canada. Part 2: selection for and effects of testing. Chronic Dis Can. 1999;20(1):14–20. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Emmons K. M., Kalkbrenner K. J., Klar N., Light T., Schneider K. A., Garber J. E. Behavioral risk factors among women presenting for genetic testing. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2000 Jan;9(1):89–94. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Evans D. G., Blair V., Greenhalgh R., Hopwood P., Howell A. The impact of genetic counselling on risk perception in women with a family history of breast cancer. Br J Cancer. 1994 Nov;70(5):934–938. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1994.423. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Fisher B., Costantino J. P., Wickerham D. L., Redmond C. K., Kavanah M., Cronin W. M., Vogel V., Robidoux A., Dimitrov N., Atkins J. Tamoxifen for prevention of breast cancer: report of the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project P-1 Study. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1998 Sep 16;90(18):1371–1388. doi: 10.1093/jnci/90.18.1371. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Green M. J., McInerney A. M., Biesecker B. B., Fost N. Education about genetic testing for breast cancer susceptibility: patient preferences for a computer program or genetic counselor. Am J Med Genet. 2001 Sep 15;103(1):24–31. doi: 10.1002/ajmg.1501. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Hoskins K. F., Stopfer J. E., Calzone K. A., Merajver S. D., Rebbeck T. R., Garber J. E., Weber B. L. Assessment and counseling for women with a family history of breast cancer. A guide for clinicians. JAMA. 1995 Feb 15;273(7):577–585. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Lerman C., Lustbader E., Rimer B., Daly M., Miller S., Sands C., Balshem A. Effects of individualized breast cancer risk counseling: a randomized trial. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1995 Feb 15;87(4):286–292. doi: 10.1093/jnci/87.4.286. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Lerman C., Seay J., Balshem A., Audrain J. Interest in genetic testing among first-degree relatives of breast cancer patients. Am J Med Genet. 1995 Jul 3;57(3):385–392. doi: 10.1002/ajmg.1320570304. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Lovegrove E., Rumsey N., Harcourt D., Cawthorn S. J. Factors implicated in the decision whether or not to join the tamoxifen trial in women at high familial risk of breast cancer. Psychooncology. 2000 May-Jun;9(3):193–202. doi: 10.1002/1099-1611(200005/06)9:3<193::aid-pon454>3.0.co;2-p. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Maxwell C. J., Bancej C. M., Snider J. Predictors of mammography use among Canadian women aged 50-69: findings from the 1996/97 National Population Health Survey. CMAJ. 2001 Feb 6;164(3):329–334. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Meiser B., Butow P., Barratt A., Friedlander M., Kirk J., Gaff C., Haan E., Aittomäki K., Tucker K. Breast cancer screening uptake in women at increased risk of developing hereditary breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2000 Jan;59(2):101–111. doi: 10.1023/a:1006330631832. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. O'Connor A. M., Tugwell P., Wells G. A., Elmslie T., Jolly E., Hollingworth G., McPherson R., Drake E., Hopman W., Mackenzie T. Randomized trial of a portable, self-administered decision aid for postmenopausal women considering long-term preventive hormone therapy. Med Decis Making. 1998 Jul-Sep;18(3):295–303. doi: 10.1177/0272989X9801800307. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Ondrusek N., Warner E., Goel V. Development of a knowledge scale about breast cancer and heredity (BCHK). Breast Cancer Res Treat. 1999 Jan;53(1):69–75. doi: 10.1023/a:1006114710328. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Ryan E. L., Skinner C. S. Risk beliefs and interest in counseling: focus-group interviews among first-degree relatives of breast cancer patients. J Cancer Educ. 1999 Summer;14(2):99–103. doi: 10.1080/08858199909528589. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Sawka Carol A., Goel Vivek, Mahut Catherine A., Taylor Glen A., Thiel Elaine C., O'Connor Annette M., Ackerman Ida, Burt Janet H., Gort Elaine H. Development of a patient decision aid for choice of surgical treatment for breast cancer. Health Expect. 1998 Jun;1(1):23–36. doi: 10.1046/j.1369-6513.1998.00003.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Warner E., Heisey R. E., Goel V., Carroll J. C., McCready D. R. Hereditary breast cancer. Risk assessment of patients with a family history of breast cancer. Can Fam Physician. 1999 Jan;45:104–112. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Warner Ellen, Goel Vivek, Ondrusek Nancy, Thiel Elaine C., Lavina H., Lickley A., Chart Pamela L., Meschino Wendy S., Doan Brian D., Carroll June C. Pilot study of an information aid for women with a family history of breast cancer. Health Expect. 1999 May;2(2):118–128. doi: 10.1046/j.1369-6513.1999.00038.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Watson M., Lloyd S., Davidson J., Meyer L., Eeles R., Ebbs S., Murday V. The impact of genetic counselling on risk perception and mental health in women with a family history of breast cancer. Br J Cancer. 1999 Feb;79(5-6):868–874. doi: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6690139. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Canadian Family Physician are provided here courtesy of College of Family Physicians of Canada

RESOURCES