A family history of breast cancer: women's experiences from a theoretical perspective

Individuals at increased risk of developing breast cancer due to their fami ly history of the disease face a number of uncertainties. Personal cancer r isk estimates are imprecise and current methods for early detection or prev ention are not 100% effective. It is therefore not surprising that adverse psychosocial outcomes have been described within this population. Research attempting to predict the incidence of distress and dysfunction in individu als at increased risk of cancer has been largely a-theoretical and has over looked a number of potentially important predictive variables. In particula r, the influence of personal experience of cancer through involvement with affected relatives has been neglected. There are strong theoretical grounds for hypothesising that dimensions of personal experience may influence res ponse to cancer risk. This paper discusses the potential impact of personal experience on risk perception, illness representations and decision-making . Systematic research in this area may improve predictions of outcome of ca ncer genetic counselling and inform the clinical process. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.