Understanding of risk communication in high risk families

Summary

Understanding of risk communication in high risk breast cancer families

Supervisor(s)

Professor Phyllis Butow

Research Location

Centre for Medical Psychology & Evidence-based Decision-making (CeMPED)

Program Type

N/A

Synopsis

Many people from families at high risk of a genetic pre-disposition of cancer or other disease receive notification of a family genetic result either from genetic counseling centres or from research registries in which they are participating. Their understanding of that information is critical to their capacity to make informed choices about acting to identify and reduce their own risk. Yet evidence suggests that mis-understanding is rife. The person working on this project will work with a very large Australian registry, the Kathleen Cunningham Foundation Consortium for research into Familial Breast Cancer (KConFab) to identify the level of understanding of participants who have received a genetic notification letter, and ways to improve that understanding.

Keywords

Breast Cancer, Risk communication, Genetics, understanding, Counselling & patient support, Professional practice, Public health & social medicine

Opportunity ID

The opportunity ID for this research opportunity is: 154

Other opportunities with Professor Phyllis Butow

• Improving psychosocial and supportive care outcomes of women with ovarian cancer and their partners