ATTITUDES TOWARDS CANCER PREDICTIVE TESTING AND TRANSMISSION OF INFORMATION TO THE FAMILY

Before the organisation of breast cancer predictive testing in France, consultands' attitudes towards this kind of testing and towards passi ng on information about the family cancer risk to their relatives were investigated. This survey was carried out from January 1994 to Januar y 1995 at six specialised cancer genetic clinics located in different parts of France. Female consultands who were first degree relatives of cancer patients and who had at least one case of breast cancer in the ir family, affecting either themselves or a first degree relative or b oth, participated this study. Among the 248 eligible consultands atten ding the clinics during the study period, 84.3% answered a post-consul tation questionnaire. Among the 209 respondents, 40.7% (n=85) were can cer patients and 59.3% (n=124) were healthy consultands. A high consen sus in favour of genetic testing was noted, since 87.7% of the sample stated that they would ask for breast cancer gene testing if this test became available. The underlying assumption of 96.6% of the women was that their health surveillance would be improved after a positive tes t. A high awareness of the anxiety that would be generated in a family after a positive result was observed and found to be associated (p<0. 05) with the anxiety and depressive profiles of the patients. Half of the healthy respondents said they would not change their attitude towa rds screening if the results of predictive testing turned out to be ne gative. Only 13.7% of the 161 patients who stated that the oncogenetic ists asked them to contact their relatives firmly refused to do so, ma inly because of difficult family relationships.