FALSE FAMILY HISTORY OF BREAST-CANCER IN THE FAMILY CANCER CLINIC

Aims: Awareness of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer in both the ge neral public and the medical profession is increasing. Individuals who may be at risk on the basis of a family history are requesting risk d etermination and appropriate management in a variety of settings. Risk determination relies largely on pedigree analysis and epidemiological data. Methods: We describe five individuals presenting in the family cancer or genetic counselling clinic where a factitious family or pers onal history led to erroneous risk estimation. Common factors in these families are a history of benign breast disease, poor communication w ithin families, long survival with early onset or bilateral disease, a lack of detailed knowledge of the illness and treatment in close rela tives and inconsistencies in the history in repeated consultations.