ASSESSMENT OF PREFERENCE FOR BREAST-CANCER CHEMOPREVENTION IN JAPANESE YOUNG-WOMEN

Pills containing estrogen and progesterone or gonadotropin releasing h ormone agonist have been considered valuable to prevent breast cancer. This study assessed preference for the combination-type pill for prev enting breast cancer, to evaluate the hypothetical preventive effect o f this agent among young Japanese women. The standard gamble method wa s applied. Fifty-five college students and 44 nursing school students aged between 18 and 41 years were asked to decide the probability of b eing affected by breast cancer at which they would start to take this agent. Preference score was calculated by subtracting the probability given by each respondent from 1, which corresponds to the value (utili ty) she allotted to the agent. The means of preference score were 0.58 , 0.48, 0.37, and 0.27 for 100, 75, 50, and 25% of efficacy levels of the agent, respectively. Preference score was significantly lower in n ursing school students and those whose knowledge about hormones were r elatively high. Score of Health Locus of Control (HLC) was nonsignific antly negatively correlated with preference score at any efficacy leve l. HLC score was significantly higher among those who refused the agen t with 50 and 25% efficacy levels at 100% level of breast cancer risk. The data suggest that perceived risk of this agent was not negligibly small in this population and school status, knowledge about hormones, and beliefs about health would affect preference for the agent. Under standing of preference for chemopreventive agents for breast cancer, e specially those containing hormones, is important to assess their pote ntial as future preventive agents and is helpful when planning a strat egy of chemoprevention.