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CC BY 4.0 · Indian J Med Paediatr Oncol 2024; 45(01): 028-034
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1768178
Original Article

Assessment of Knowledge and Attitude of Breast and Ovarian Cancer Patients Regarding Hereditary Breast-Ovarian Cancer Syndrome at a Tertiary Cancer Institute: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study

Raja Pramanik 
1   Department of Medical Oncology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
,
Shubhra Vats
2   Department of Biotechnology, University of Allahabad, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India
,
Sanchita Mitra
3   Department of Biotechnology, Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies, Faridabad, Haryana, India
,
SVS Deo
4   Department of Surgical Oncology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
,
Lalit Kumar 
1   Department of Medical Oncology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
,
Ajay Gogia
1   Department of Medical Oncology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
,
Sachin Khurana
1   Department of Medical Oncology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
,
Atul Batra
1   Department of Medical Oncology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
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Funding None.
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Abstract

Introduction Hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) syndrome affects a significant proportion of our breast and ovarian cancer patients. Mutations in genes, for example, BRCA1 and 2, confer a high risk of acquiring certain malignancies, including breast cancer in both men and women, and ovarian cancer in women. Mutation carriers provide a unique opportunity for healthcare professionals to intensively screen and detect malignancy at an early and curable stage. But, patient awareness and acceptance are the keys to the success of these strategies.

Objective There is a need to assess the awareness of the patients in this field as the patients come from varied backgrounds, and differ in their socioeconomic profiles, educational backdrop, and cultures. In this study, done prior to establishing our cancer genetics clinic, we evaluated the knowledge and attitude toward HBOC in patients with breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

Materials and Methods This cross-sectional observational study was conducted on patients registered in IRCH-AIIMS, who has a diagnosis of breast cancer or ovarian cancer using a self-administered questionnaire based on knowledge and attitude. The sample population included 84 women aged between 25 and 80 years. A binary response was given to knowledge questions, whereas a categorical response was given to attitude questions. The overall data was computed using STATA v13 software.

Results According to the findings of the study, 39.3% (5.11/13) of the patients were aware of hereditary cancer. Knowledge among the targeted population was poor, but 72.1% (37.5/52) of the population had a neutral attitude toward learning more about hereditary cancer tests. Only 23/84 (27%) people had heard of genetic counseling. Seventy of eighty-four (83%) patients agreed that they would opt for a genetic test if indicated. While 60/84 (72%) of the population wanted to interact with a counselor over a telephonic call, only 41/84 (49%) wanted to interact in person.

Conclusion We concluded from the study that breast and ovarian cancer patients in our clinic have little understanding of HBOC syndrome but have a neutral attitude toward learning more about it.

Keywords

hereditary breast and ovarian cancer - mutation - genetic counseling

Ethical Approval

The study was approved by the Institute Ethical Committee vide Letter No. IEC-186/06.04.2018, RP-47/2018.


Availability of Data and Material

Data regarding this study will be available from the corresponding author (R.P.) at reasonable request.


Authors' Contributions

R.P., S.D., L.K. conceptualized the study, S.V. collected data, S.M., R.P., S.K., A.G., and A.B. analyzed data, and R.P. and S.M. drafted the manuscript. The final manuscript was reviewed and edited by all authors.


Supplementary Material



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Artikel online veröffentlicht:
12. Mai 2023

© 2023. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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