The objectives of the study are; 1) to identify family characteristics and personality traits and beliefs that significantly effect individual decisions regarding BRCA1 testing such as, religious and spiritual beliefs and previous direct experience with cancer; 2) to characterize the impact of negative vs. positive BRCA1 test results on family relationships and psychological status; 3) to predict responses to specific counseling regarding risk status based on individual personality profiles; 4) to predict who is at greatest risk for experiencing negative effects on close relationships; 5) to assess expectations regarding testing and how these influence perceptions of risks and responses to risk notification; 6) to evaluate the impact of risk notification on the frequency of surveillance and prevention activities; and 7) to compare a client-driven pre-test session to a counselor-driven, problem-solving approach. To date, 178 individuals from eight extended families have been contacted. One hundred twenty one (68%) have participated in the study and 98 (81% of those counseled) have chosen to undergo genetic testing. Fifty two individuals have received their test results. Predictors of testing decisions including, sociodemographics, previous research experience, and cancer history have been analyzed. To date, age is most predictive of the decision to be tested. Additional analysis of baseline data is currently underway and will be published in an invited article in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention.
