RESUMO
The cloning of two major breast cancer susceptibility genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, in 1994 and 1995 and the subsequent development of commercial genetic testing has brought hereditary cancer genetics into the public eye. In addition to DNA-based genetic testing, new strategies and treatments have been developed to provide accurate assessment of cancer risk and to reduce the chances of cancer developing in the future. This increasing scientific and public attention has prompted some cancer patients and their families to find out whether they "have the cancer gene" and has placed more responsibility on primary care clinicians to identify people who should be referred for specialized services of hereditary cancer genetics.
Assuntos
Predisposição Genética para Doença , Neoplasias/genética , Atenção Primária à Saúde , Polipose Adenomatosa do Colo/genética , Neoplasias da Mama/genética , Neoplasias Colorretais/genética , Feminino , Aconselhamento Genético , Testes Genéticos , Humanos , Neoplasias Ovarianas/genética , Medição de RiscoRESUMO
Interest in genetic testing for inherited cancer susceptibility is high in the general population. Women at risk for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations represent the best-studied population undergoing genetic testing for cancer susceptibility. However, it is unclear whether factors influencing interest in genetic testing in women are directly applicable to men. We designed a study to examine factors associated with men's interest in genetic testing to identify prostate cancer susceptibility. Our sample consisted of 267 men present in waiting rooms of a urology clinic in an urban area. We examined whether the concept of "monitoring" could be used to predict the interest of men in a genetic test for prostate cancer susceptibility. Our results indicated that "monitoring" trait was positively associated with interest in genetic testing in these men, but principally for patients rather than nonpatients. Moreover we found that monitoring was associated with over estimation of risk in those men with prostate cancer. Other factors found to influence interest in genetic testing included recommendation by a doctor, family history of prostate cancer, and cost. This study indicated that interest in genetic testing and estimation of risk is influenced by a complex interaction between both psychological factors (monitoring) and nonbehavioral factors (such as patient status, cost, and doctor recommendation).