Psychosocial Adjustment, Breast Cancer–Specific Distress in Adolescent Girls From BRCA1/2-Positive and Breast Cancer Families
Adolescent girls from BRCA1/2-positive and breast cancer families appear to have higher self-esteem and similar psychosocial adjustment compared with their peers but experience greater breast cancer–specific distress and perceived risk of breast cancer. Bradbury et al reported these findings in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
The study involved assessment of 208 girls aged 11 to 19 years old with at least 1 relative with breast cancer or a familial BRCA1/2 mutation (breast cancer family history–positive), including 69 girls with a BRCA1/2-positive mother, 112 peers with no breast cancer family history, and their mothers.
Psychosocial Adjustment, Distress, and Perceived Risk
There were no significant differences between girls with and without a breast cancer family history in general psychosocial adjustment according to self-report or mother report; girls with a breast cancer family history reported higher self-esteem (P = .01). And girls with a breast cancer family history had higher breast cancer–specific distress than did those girls without a breast cancer family history (P < .001), with no difference observed between girls from BRCA1/2-positive families and other girls with a breast cancer family history.
A total of 74% of girls with a family history of breast cancer vs 33% of girls without such a history reported perceiving themselves at increased risk for breast cancer in adulthood (P < .001), with girls from BRCA1/2-positive families being more likely to report such risk than other girls with or without a breast cancer family history. Older age and higher breast cancer–specific distress were associated with a higher perceived risk of breast cancer.
The investigators concluded: “Adolescent girls from BRCA1/2-positive and breast cancer families have higher self-esteem and do not have poorer psychosocial adjustment than peers. However, they do experience greater breast cancer–specific distress and perceived risk of breast cancer, particularly among older girls. Understanding the impact is important to optimize responses to growing up in families at familial and genetic risk for breast cancer, particularly given the debate over the genetic testing of children for cancer susceptibility in adulthood.”
The study was supported by The Basser Research Center for BRCA in the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania and the Fox Chase Cancer Center Keystone Program in Personalized Risk.
Angela R. Bradbury, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania, is the corresponding author of the Journal of Clinical Oncology article.
The content in this post has not been reviewed by the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Inc. (ASCO®) and does not necessarily reflect the ideas and opinions of ASCO®.
