Psychosocial issues associated with increased breast and ovarian cancer risk: findings from focus groups

The advent of genetic testing for breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility has raised concurrent psychosocial issues. Within the context of limited health care resources, the ability to identify a subgroup of women who are at increased genetic risk for breast and ovarian cancers and who are also vulnerable to significant psychosocial sequelae is critical. Use of a focus group methodology substantiated the notion that there are factors that may predispose certain women who are at increased risk for developing breast and ovarian cancer to sustained psychosocial problems. In this era of rapid scientific strides coupled with efforts to contain health care costs, it is imperative that screening instruments be developed that can identify women who are at risk for significant psychosocial sequelae so that interventions can be instituted in a timely fashion.