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 testresults 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, 556 individuals from eleven extended families have been contacted. Two hundred fifty six (46%) have participated in the study and 220 (86% of those counseled) have chosen to undergo genetic testing. One hundred seventy three individuals have received their test results. Predictors of testing decisions including, sociodemographics and personality traits have been analyzed. Age, marital status, family cohesion and optimism are predictive of the decision to be tested. These baseline results currently are being submitted for publication.
