open access: Identifying Needs: a Qualitative Study of women’s Experiences Regarding Rapid Genetic Testing for HBOC (DNA BONus Study)

open access
Identifying Needs: a Qualitative Study of women’s Experiences Regarding Rapid Genetic Testing for Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer in the DNA BONus Study 

 Results (3 key themes):

• Being “beside oneself” (eg. shock)

• Altruism and Ethical Dilemmas

•  The Need for Support and Counselling to Assist the Decision Process

   

   ...Many of the women described themselves as emotionally and mentally overloaded after their diagnosis. Being stricken by a severe disease is tough....

   ....The women’s acceptance of genetic testing was primarily motivated by the prospect of protecting their children, and particularly their daughters. This altruistic attitude is known from Hallowell’s study (Hallowell et al. 2003), which found that most women previously diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer generated genetic information for the benefit of others.....