Impact of Genetic Counseling and Testing for Breast Cancer

Offit, Kenneth
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
New York, New York
funded by the American Cancer Society grant PBR-97 (Member of CGSC)
Project period: 1995 - 1998
Implication: Social SWO

The overall goals of these studies are to demonstrate the psychological effects of genetic counseling for women with a family history of breast cancer and the additional psychological impact of genetic testing as it is introduced into clinical counseling approaches. The specific aims are: to identify cognitive, emotional, and other factors that influence interest in and readiness to bank DNA samples for future BRCA1 testing among African-American women; to examine the effectiveness of genetic counseling as a means of educating women who are considering having genetic testing and to measure the impact of risk notification based on genetic testing and its effects on psychological functioning and preventive and early detection behaviors.


Publications from this grant.

Offit, K. Clinical Cancer Genetics: Risk Counseling & Management. New York: Wiley-Liss, Inc., 1998. 419p.