Table 4.
Percent Correct for Items from the National Center for Human Genome Research Cancer Genetics Studies Consortium Knowledge Scale
| Item | % correct |
|---|---|
| Prevalence | |
| 1 in 10 women has an altered breast cancer gene. (False) | 11.3 |
| One half of all breast cancer cases occur in women who have an altered breast cancer gene. (False) | 9.4 |
| Patterns of inheritance | |
| A father can pass down an altered breast cancer gene to his children. (True) | 66.0 |
| The sister of a woman with an altered breast cancer gene has a 50% risk of having the altered gene. (True) | 60.4 |
| Cancer risks | |
| A woman who does not have an altered breast cancer gene can still get breast or ovarian cancer. (True) | 73.6 |
| Early onset breast cancer is more likely due to an altered breast cancer gene than is late onset breast cancer. (True) | 64.2 |
| A woman who has an altered breast cancer gene has a higher ovarian cancer risk. (True) | 62.3 |
| All women who have an altered breast cancer gene get cancer. (False) | 49.1 |
| Risk management options | |
| A woman who has her breasts removed can still get breast cancer. (True) | 58.5 |
| Ovarian cancer screening tests often do not detect cancer until after it spreads. (True) | 35.8 |
| Having ovaries removed will definitely prevent ovarian cancer. (False) | 24.5 |