Breast Cancer Prevention: The Views of Women and Physicians
Creators: name: University Of California Office Of The President
Publisher: name: University of California Office of the President
publisherIdentifier: https://ror.org/00dmfq477
publisherIdentifierScheme: ROR
Year: 2024

description: Breast cancer is a leading women’s health concern in the U. S., where over 180,000 new cases are diagnosed yearly. New research has led to a greater knowledge of genetic predisposition and understanding of how lifestyle behaviors are related to risk of breast cancer. Despite these advances, the medical community has been unable to establish clear-cut guidelines for women to assess their risk and there is a lack of consensus as to the most appropriate and effective ways to "prevent" breast cancer, i.e., to reduce risk, based on current knowledge. Due to the lack of guidelines and the controversy within the breast cancer prevention field, physicians play a critical role and have a greater responsibility in providing up-to-date information to their patients. Little is known about how doctors advise their patients about breast cancer risk or the factors affecting these practices. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 This study proposes to examine the knowledge, attitudes and practices of women and physicians with regard to breast cancer prevention. We will conduct a telephone survey of 1200 women, from four ethnic groups, at varying risk of breast cancer. Participants will be recruited from the San Francisco Mammography Registry (SFMR). Women will be eligible for the study if they are between 40 and 75 years of age, have no prior history of breast cancer, and are English, Spanish, or Cantonese speaking. This survey will examine women’s perceived risk for breast cancer, knowledge of risk assessment tools and available options for the primary prevention of breast cancer. We will also survey 1000 randomly selected physicians from 3 different specialties (general internal medicine, family medicine, and obstetrics/gynecology ) practicing in the Bay Area. This survey will examine physician knowledge of breast cancer prevention and beliefs about the effectiveness of current therapies. We will also examine physicians' current practices, attitudes, and the perceived obstacles related to breast cancer prevention. In addition, this information will be utilized to determine if there are any differences among physicians based on the type of practice, gender, or the geographic location of their medical practice.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 The growing therapeutic options for the primary prevention of breast cancer make this an opportune time to study how women assess their risk of breast cancer, acquire information about new options and make decisions about their use. Knowledge gained from this study will facilitate the development and evaluation of physicians’ and patients’ interventions targeted to improve patient-doctor decision-making with respect to breast cancer prevention. The ultimate goal is to ensure that all women, regardless of their ethnic/racial group, receive from their doctors the most up-to-date and reliable medical information available so that they may make the most informed choices possible regarding their health.