BRCA1/2 predictive testing and gender: uptake, motivation and psychological characteristics.

ABSTRACT

BRCA1/2 predictive testing and gender Uptake, motivation and psychological characteristics Data on male uptake of BRCA1/2 predictive testing and psychological characteristics of males in comparison to females are scarce. We investigated gender differences in the cohort tested at the Center for Human Genetics in Leuven during a 10-year period (1998-2007). Males were significantly older than females. Breast cancer related distress (IES) was significantly lower in men and was not associated with BRCA1 or BRCA2. The groups of both males and females were psychologically stronger than average (SCL-90, UCL) and self-selected. Men were unanimously motivated (personal relevance of 12 motives rated on a Likert scale) by concern for their daughters, and significantly more so than women. One third of them (versus 12% women) referred to child-bearing decisions. Considering all unaffected siblings in the family of origin, uptake of predictive testing was significantly higher in females. Moreover, uptake was significantly higher in women belonging to a BRCA2 than to a BRCA1 family. In the descendants of identified carriers, uptake was predicted by gender and age, but not by the parent's gender or by BRCA1 or BRCA2 status.