ABSTRACT
Advances in molecular genetics over the past decade mean that it is now possible for individuals to be tested for their genetic susceptibility to developing specific cancers. It is estimated that mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 breast cancer susceptibility genes account for up to 10 per cent of breast cancer cases in the US (Claus et al., 1996). The lifetime risk of developing breast cancer among women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation is estimated to range between 45-80 per cent and between 15-60 per cent for ovarian cancer (Easton, Ford, Bishop, and The Breast Cancer Linkage Consortium, 1995; Ford et al., 1994; Ford et al., 1998; Struewing et al., 1997). For colon cancer, the risk figures are much lower: 3-10 per cent of individuals with germline mutations of the APC colorectal cancer susceptibility gene develop colorectal cancer (Bjork et al., 2001; Jagelman et al., 1988; Spiegelman et al., 1994). The possibility of genetic testing has given individuals previously unimaginable choices to learn about their risk of developing certain diseases. Such choices, however, are never without risk or costs that extend beyond the financial and time commitments that are required for a genetic testing protocol. Rather, they include psychological (i.e., cognitive and affective) and social-relationship risks that might impact on the entire family.
