Abstract
To assess the impact of BRCA1/2 genetic test results on cancer-free women’s breast-self-examination (BSE) practices and to prospectively determine their influence on psychological functioning. A prospective longitudinal study on French women’s BSE practices and frequencies in BRCA1/2 carriers (N = 217) and non-carriers (N = 313) 1 and 2 years following disclosure of the test results, along with psychological factors predicting BSE practices. Before disclosure, BSE was practised by 47.2% of the women, and increased to 57.3% 1 year later. No change in the women’s practices was noted between 12 and 24 months after the test. Carriers and non-carriers practicing regularly BSE at baseline were, respectively 8 to 6 times more likely to be practising BSE regularly at 12 months after being tested. Among the carriers, having fewer depressive symptoms at baseline and believing in the ability of BSE to detect breast cancer were found to be the most decisive factors associated with BSE practices 1 year after disclosure, following adjustment for BSE baseline practices. Among the non-carriers, believing in the ability of BSE to detect breast cancer, greater post-test anxiety, and a higher perceived risk of breast cancer were found to be predictors of post-test BSE practices after adjusting for BSE baseline practices. In France, where performing BSE is neither mandatory nor recommended, an increase in BSE practices was found to occur after disclosure of women’s genetic test results, regardless of their carrier status.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Antoniou A et al (2003) Average risks of breast and ovarian cancer associated with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations detected in case Series unselected for family history: a combined analysis of 22 studies. Am J Hum Genet 72(5):1117–1130
INSERM (1996) Statistiques des causes médicales de décès 1994, in Paris: Editions INSERM 1996
Publique, H.C.d.S. (1994) La santé en France, in annexes: Travaux de groupes thématiques. La Documentation Française, Paris
Eisinger F et al (1999) Cultural basis for differences between US and French clinical recommendations for women at increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Lancet 353(9156):919–920
Eisinger F et al (1998) Recommendations for medical management of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer: the French National Ad Hoc Committee. Ann Oncol 9(9):939–950
Baxter N (2001) Preventive health care, 2001 update: should women be routinely taught breast self-examination to screen for breast cancer? CMAJ 164(13):1837–1846
Kosters JP, Gotzsche PC (2003) Regular self-examination or clinical examination for early detection of breast cancer. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2:CD003373
Horsman D et al (2007) Clinical management recommendations for surveillance and risk-reduction strategies for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer among individuals carrying a deleterious BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation. J Obstet Gynaecol Can 29(1):45–60
Kaas R et al (2008) Stage of breast cancers found during the surveillance of women with a familial or hereditary risk. Eur J Surg Oncol 34(5):501–507
Kaas R, Rutgers EJ (2008) Systematic breast self-examination is not a useful screening procedure, except in hereditary or familial increased risk of breast cancer. Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd 152(43):2317–2318
Zonderhuis BM et al (2008) Breast self-examination also valuable in women participating in a screening programme. Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd 152(43):2341–2345
Hay JL, McCaul KD, Magnan RE (2006) Does worry about breast cancer predict screening behaviors? A meta-analysis of the prospective evidence. Prev Med 42(6):401–408
Consedine NS, Magai C, Neugut AI (2004) The contribution of emotional characteristics to breast cancer screening among women from six ethnic groups. Prev Med 38(1):64–77
Miller SM, Shoda Y, Hurley K (1996) Applying cognitive-social theory to health-protective behavior: breast self-examination in cancer screening. Psychol Bull 119(1):70–94
Henderson BJ et al (2008) Factors associated with breast cancer-specific distress in younger women participating in a family history mammography screening programme. Psychooncology 17(1):74–82
Parsons EP et al (2000) Reassurance through surveillance in the face of clinical uncertainty: the experience of women at risk of familial breast cancer. Health Expect 3(4):263–273
McInerney-Leo A et al (2006) BRCA1/2 testing in hereditary breast and ovarian cancer families III: risk perception and screening. Am J Med Genet A 140(20):2198–2206
Claes E et al (2005) Surveillance behavior and prophylactic surgery after predictive testing for hereditary breast/ovarian cancer. Behav Med 31(3):93–105
Bakos AD et al (2008) BRCA mutation-negative women from hereditary breast and ovarian cancer families: a qualitative study of the BRCA-negative experience. Health Expect 11(3):220–231
Andrieu N et al (2006) Effect of chest X-rays on the risk of breast cancer among BRCA1/2 mutation carriers in the international BRCA1/2 carrier cohort study: a report from the EMBRACE, GENEPSO, GEO-HEBON, and IBCCS Collaborators’ Group. J Clin Oncol 24(21):3361–3366
Horowitz M, Wilner N, Alvarez W (1979) Impact of event scale: a measure of subjective stress. Psychosom Med 41(3):209–218
Sundin EC, Horowitz MJ (2002) Impact of event scale: psychometric properties. Br J Psychiatr 180:205–209
Thewes B, Meiser B, Hickie IB (2001) Psychometric properties of the impact of event scale amongst women at increased risk for hereditary breast cancer. Psychooncology 10(6):459–468
Julian-Reynier C et al (2010) Time to prophylactic surgery in BRCA1/2 carriers depends on psychological and other characteristics. Genet Med 12(12):801–807
Fuhrer RF, Rouillon F (1989) La version française de l’échelle CES-D (Center for epidemiologic studies-depression scale). Description et traduction de l’échelle d’autoévaluation. French version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies. Depression scale. Eur Psychiatr 4(3):163–166
Dorval M et al (2008) Health behaviors and psychological distress in women initiating BRCA1/2 genetic testing: comparison with control population. J Genet Couns 17(4):314–326
Kudadjie-Gyamfi E et al (2005) Breast self-examination practices among women from six ethnic groups and the influence of cancer worry. Breast Cancer Res Treat 92(1):35–45
Lechner L, De Nooijer J, De Vries H (2004) Breast self-examination: longitudinal predictors of intention and subsequent behaviour. Eur J Cancer Prev 13(5):369–376
Stefanek ME, Wilcox P (1991) First degree relatives of breast cancer patients: screening practices and provision of risk information. Cancer Detect Prev 15(5):379–384
Acknowledgments
All the members of the Genepso cohort investigators including, Claude Adenis, Yves-Jean Bignon, Valérie Bonadona, Annie Chevrier, Agnès Chompret, Odile Cohen-Haguenauer, Isabelle Coupier, Liliane Demange, Capucine Delnatte, Hélène Dreyfus, Catherine Dugast, François Eisinger, Roxane Fabre, Laurence Faivre, Marc Frenay, Paul Gesta, Caroline Logeat, Michel Longy, Tan Dat NGuyen, Claude Picard, Irwin Piot, Hagay Sobol, Dominique Stoppa-Lyonnet, Laurence Venat-bouvet, Philippe Vennin, Hélène Zattara-Cannoni. The study was financially supported by Institut National du Cancer INCA R08097AA/RPT08011AAA.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Maheu, C., Apostolidis, T., Petri-Cal, A. et al. French women’s breast self-examination practices with time after undergoing BRCA1/2 genetic testing. Familial Cancer 11, 269–278 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10689-012-9512-z
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10689-012-9512-z