Impact of BRCA1/2 cascade testing on anxiety, depression, and cancer worry levels among unaffected relatives in a multiethnic Asian cohort.

Cascade testing for families with BRCA pathogenic variants is important to identify relatives who are carriers. These relatives can benefit from appropriate risk management and preventative strategies arising from an inherited increased risk of breast, ovarian, prostate, melanoma, and pancreatic cancers. Cascade testing has the potential to enable cost-effective cancer control even in low- and middle-income settings, but few studies have hitherto evaluated the psychosocial impact of cascade testing in an Asian population, where the cultural and religious beliefs around inheritance and destiny have previously been shown to influence perception and attitudes toward screening.

Decision-making for Risk-reducing Salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO) in Southeast Asian BRCA Mutation Carriers With Breast Cancer: A Qualitative Study.

Background: The uptake of risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO) in Asian countries is variable despite being the most effective option for ovarian cancer risk reduction in BRCA mutation carriers. Exploration of factors which may impact the RRSO decision-making of BRCA mutation carriers from Malaysia, a developing country in Southeast Asia, was undertaken.

Methods: In-depth interviews with 28 Malaysian BRCA mutation carriers with a history of breast cancer were conducted in addition to observing their RRSO decision-making consultations in the clinic.

The needs of Southeast Asian BRCA mutation carriers considering risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy: a qualitative study.

The decision to have risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO) by BRCA mutation carriers to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer is difficult. The choice involves trade-offs in terms of its risks and benefits. To date, understanding the decision-making needs of RRSO among Southeast Asian BRCA mutation carriers is limited.

Oncologist-led counselling improves access to cancer genetic testing in middle-income Asian country, with no significant impact on psychosocial outcomes.

Background: Identifying patients with mutations is clinically important to inform on the potential response to treatment and for risk management of patients and their relatives. However, traditional referral routes may not meet clinical needs, and therefore, mainstreaming cancer genetics has been shown to be effective in some high-income and high health-literacy settings. To date, no study has reported on the feasibility of mainstreaming in low-income and middle-income settings, where the service considerations and health literacy could detrimentally affect the feasibility of mainstreaming.