Screening High-Risk Women Veterans for Breast Cancer

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Public Health
• Veterans Health

Background:

• Breast cancer prevalence has significantly increased among US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) patients.
• Women veterans may face elevated breast cancer risks due to service exposures and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess 5-year and lifetime invasive breast cancer risks in women veterans using the Gail Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool (BCRAT).
• To gather data on demographics, PTSD, chemoprevention eligibility, and genetic counseling needs within this population.

Main Methods:

• Enrolled women veterans aged 35+ with no prior breast cancer history at two urban VA medical centers.
• Administered BCRAT surveys and collected data on demographics, PTSD, and other relevant factors.
• Utilized descriptive statistics to analyze the collected data.

Main Results:

• Ninety-nine women veterans participated; 60% were Black, and 35% were identified as high-risk (>1.66% 5-year BCRAT).
• High-risk Black women veterans showed high rates of prior breast biopsies (33%) and family history (94%).
• 31% of the high-risk subgroup had PTSD; some were referred for chemoprevention and genetic counseling.

Conclusions:

• The pilot study highlighted significant breast cancer risk and PTSD prevalence in participating Black women veterans.
• High participation of Black women veterans suggests potential for future research in this underrepresented group.
• Future research should explore genetic mutations and PTSD epigenetic changes in high-risk Black women veterans.