RCT of a Group Intervention for Women With a Family History of Breast Cancer

One in 10 Canadian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer (BC) and approximately 5% of all BC is believed to be hereditary. Women with a family history experience high levels of perceived risk for developing BC. Elevated risk perceptions for BC have been associated with psychological distress, which, in turn, can interfere with screening adherence. In our completed CBCRI-funded study, we developed and standardized a group intervention designed to address the psychological issues associated with having a family history of BC. Results demonstrated that the intervention led to significant improvement in levels of anxiety and depression, improved BC risk factors/genetics knowledge and was associated with optimal screening behavior. The proposed study will rigorously test the group intervention in comparison to standard risk counselling in a sample of 150 women recruited from Familial BC clinics in Toronto. The interventions will be examined for their impact on a) psychological functioning, b) BC risk/genetic knowledge and c) screening behaviors.