Comparing Models of Pre-Test Education for BRCA1 Testing

This study will test two protocols for providing effective and culturally-sensitive pre-BRCA1 test education to first-degree relatives (FDRs) of breast and ovarian cancer patients. The two protocols are: Standard Education that addresses the benefits, limitations, and risks of testing, and (2) Education plus Counseling that also addresses the psychosocial aspects of alternate testing decisions. The specific aims of this research are to: evaluate the relative impact of these pre-test education protocols on knowledge and attitudes about BRCA1 testing, testing plans and decisions, psychological well-being, and health behavior; identify women most and least likely to benefit, based on ethnicity, risk status, and coping styles; and determine the mechanisms by which pre-test education contributes to improved outcomes. The subjects will be 900 African-American and white women with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer. These pre-test education interventions will be replicable and exportable to diverse practice settings where women may seek BRCA1 testing in the future. (Co-funded with NIMH. Member of CGSC)