GENETIC DETECTION - THE NEED FOR PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT IN MODERN CANCER PREVENTION

During recent years the gap between the rapid implementation of new te chnologies in cancer prevention and the slow development of a compleme ntary psychological framework to conceptualize the transmission of gen etic informations to patients has been deplored. Such a framework shou ld include all psychological aspects surrounding the genetic consultat ion, reaching from the information and education of the general public to the impact of prophylactic surgery. While some of the psychologica l consequences of modern cancer prevention can not be fully forseen an d have first to be documented and analysed, others can easily be antic ipated. The authors will try to outline a psychological framework that could help in facing potential negative effects of these beneficial p reventive possibilities.