Decision-Making Regarding Prophylactic Mastectomy and Oophorectomy in Ashkenazi Jewish Women Seeking Genetic Testing for BRCA1/BRCA2 Mutations

摘要

Among women of Ashkenazi Jewish (Eastern European) descent, carriers of one of the three most common BRACA1/2 mutations have a 40-73% chance of breast cancer by the age of 70 and a 6-28% chance of ovarian cancer. Few options exist for primary prevention of these cancers other than prophylactic surgery, or surgical removal of noncancerous organs in order to prevent occurrence of the disease. The primary aim of the study is to describe the levels of intention to undergo prophylactic mastectomy and/or oophorectomy among Ashkenazi Jewish women seeking genetic testing for inherited founder BRACA1 and BRCA2 mutations, and to identify factors that influence decision-making about prophylactic surgery. To achieve these aims, 611 women undergoing genetic counseling and testing for inherited breast ovarian cancer risk will be assessed before their first genetic counseling session and three times in the year following notification of their genetic test results. Major accomplishments during the past year include establishing collaboration with parent study, completing all pre-recruitment tasks, and publishing a peer-reviewed article and abstracts related to the study.