Psychological impact of recall on women with BRCA mutations undergoing MRI surveillance.

Objective: The addition of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to mammography for surveillance of women with BRCA mutations significantly increases sensitivity but lowers specificity. This study aimed to examine whether MRI surveillance, and particularly recall, is associated with increased anxiety, depression, or breast cancer worry/distress.

Methods: Women with BRCA mutations in an MRI surveillance study were invited to complete: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Lerman's Breast Cancer Worry Scale, Breast Cancer Worry Interference Scale, and a quality of life rating at 3 time points: 1-2 weeks before (T1), 4-6 weeks after (T2) and 6 months after their annual surveillance (T3).

The attitudes of women with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations toward clinical breast examinations and breast self-examinations.

Aims: In screening studies of women with BRCA mutations, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plus mammography has >90% sensitivity for detecting breast cancer, with negligible benefit from the addition of breast self-examination (BSE) or clinical breast examination (CBE). Yet CBE is still frequently recommended, and BSE is encouraged for these women. We sought to determine the attitudes of high-risk women toward CBE and BSE.