Decision Making in Young Women at Risk for HBOC

描述（由申请人提供）：BRCA1和/或BRCA2突变检测阳性的年轻女性在其生命发育的关键时期面临潜在致命的遗传遗传。在得知自己是遗传性乳腺癌和卵巢癌（HBOC）的高危人群后，这些年龄在35岁以下的女性必须对自己的医疗保健做出决定。人们对这一特定人群的健康行为决策知之甚少。研究样本将由35- 45名年龄在18-35岁之间的女性组成。这一年龄组包括乳腺癌文献中确定为“年轻”的成年妇女，并且在乳腺癌妇女群体中具有独特的特征。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Young women with a positive BRCA1 and/or BRCA2 mutation test face a potentially deadly genetic legacy at a developmental critical time in their lives. After learning they are at a high risk for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) these women <35 years old must make decisions about their health care. Little is known about health behavior decision making in this specific population. The study sample will consist of 35- 45 women between the ages of 18-35 years. This age group comprises the adult population of women identified in the breast cancer literature as "young" and having unique characteristics within the population of women with breast cancer. The purpose of this study is to increase our understanding of the health behavior decision making of young women who discover they are at high risk for HBOC. This study will describe how receiving genetic risk information affects decisions about actual health behaviors. The specific aims of the study are to: 1) To describe patterns of decision making about health behaviors in women <35 years in response to a positive or ambiguous genetic test result; and 2) To describe influences associated with health behavior decision making that are most salient to young women at risk for HBOC. A preliminary study with a subset of young women with a positive BRCA mutation test identified issues related to relationships, reproduction, a lack of treatment information specific to this age group and feelings of being different from peers. Grounded theory method will be used to increase understanding of health behavior decision making. Data will be collected in one to two semi-structured interviews with each participant and will be analyzed using the constant comparative method. Descriptions of patterns of decision making and influences associated with particular health behavior decisions will be based on the research participants' experiences. Increased understanding of the complexities of health behavior decision making in this specific population will be the first step in a research program to develop psychosocial interventions directed at young women at risk for HBOC.