Psychosocial predictors of developing breast cancer in women from high risk breast cancer families

在过去的20年里，研究强调了压力生活事件和痛苦的可能作用，可能是由社会支持和个性介导的，在导致或加速乳腺癌的发展。这种可能性引起消费者的强烈关注。迄今为止，很少有设计良好的前瞻性研究。此外，以前没有研究专门针对因家族史而风险增加的妇女。近年来，已经有可能鉴定出两种乳腺癌基因（BRCA 1和BRCA 2）。具有强烈家族史的这些基因突变的女性携带者估计一生的风险在35%到85%之间。Kathleen Cuningham家族性乳腺癌研究联盟（kConFab）成立于11年前，旨在协调澳大利亚和新西兰家族中遗传、流行病学和临床数据的收集，这些家族具有显性遗传的乳腺癌易感性。由于该组乳腺癌诊断率高，以及kConFab系统性招募了大量高危女性，因此有一个独特而暂时的机会进行严格的研究来解决这个问题，涉及的人数足够多。这项研究是世界上第一次，将提供这一领域迄今为止最好的数据。如果研究表明心理社会因素与来自乳腺癌高危家庭的妇女患乳腺癌之间存在关系，那么随后确定弱势个体并实施适当的干预措施可能会对降低这一人群的发病率和死亡率产生真实的影响。此外，研究结果可能对所有女性降低乳腺癌发病率有影响。

Over the past 20 years, studies have highlighted the possible roles of stressful life events and distress, possibly mediated by social support and personality, in causing or speeding up the development of breast cancer. This possibility is of strong concern to consumers. To date, there have been few well designed, prospective studies of this issue. Furthermore, no previous studies have specifically targeted women at increased risk because of their family history. In recent years, it has become possible to identify 2 breast cancer genes (BRCA1 and BRCA2). Female carriers of mutations in these genes with a strong family history have an estimated lifetime risk of between 35% and 85%. The Kathleen Cuningham Consortium for Research into Familial Breast Cancer (kConFab) was established 11 years ago to coordinate the collection of genetic, epidemiological and clinical data in Australian and New Zealand families with a dominantly inherited predisposition to breast cancer. Due to the high rate of breast cancer diagnoses in this group, and the systematic recruitment of large numbers of high risk women by kConFab, there is a unique and temporary opportunity to conduct a rigorous study to resolve this question, with sufficient numbers involved. The study is a world first, and will provide the best data to date in this area. If the study demonstrates a relationship between psychosocial factors and the development of breast cancer in women from high risk breast cancer families, subsequent identification of vulnerable individuals and the implementation of appropriate interventions may have a real impact on reducing morbidity and mortality in this population. Furthermore, the results may have implications for all women in reducing breast cancer incidence.