African-American women less likely to undergo genetic testing

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

A study shows that African-American women who have a family history of breast cancer are less likely to attend for genetic counseling than white women.
We already know that women who carry mutations in the BRCA1/2 genes have a much higher risk of breast cancer. There is, however, testing available that can make them aware of this risk and make decisions on preventive action.

A new study from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine now highlights ethnic differences among women attending for testing. They looked at 408 women with a family history of breast cancer. Of this group, 217 had genetic counseling for testing. The rest acted as controls in the study. They found that the African American women in the group were 78 per cent less likely to attend for counseling. The researchers say the findings cannot be fully explained by differences in cancer risk perception or probability of carrying the gene. The relationship between ethnicity and take-up of genetic counseling appears to be more complex than this and worthy of further investigation.

Source
Journal of the American Medical Association 13th April 2005 Volume 293 pages 1729-1736

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