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- Andersson, Andreas, et al.
(författare)
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Public support for healthcare-mediated disclosure of hereditary cancer risk information: Results from a population-based survey in Sweden
- 2020
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Ingår i: Hereditary Cancer in Clinical Practice. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1731-2302 .- 1897-4287. ; 18:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Targeted surveillance of at-risk individuals in families with increased risk of hereditary cancer is an effective prevention strategy if relatives are identified, informed and enrolled in screening programs. Despite the potential benefits, many eligible at-risk relatives remain uninformed of their cancer risk. This study describes the general public's opinion on disclosure of hereditary colorectal cancer (CRC) risk information, as well as preferences on the source and the mode of information. Methods A random sample of the general public was assessed through a Swedish citizen web-panel. Respondents were presented with scenarios of being an at-risk relative in a family that had an estimated increased hereditary risk of CRC; either 10% (moderate) or 70% (high) lifetime risk. A colonoscopy was presented as a preventive measure. Results were analysed to identify significant differences between groups using the Pearson's chi-square (chi(2)) test. Results Of 1800 invited participants, 977 completed the survey (54%). In the moderate and high-risk scenarios, 89.2 and 90.6% respectively, would like to receive information about a potential hereditary risk of CRC (chi 2,p = .755). The desire to be informed was higher among women (91.5%) than men (87.0%, chi 2,p = .044). No significant differences were found when comparing different age groups, educational levels, place of residence and having children or not. The preferred source of risk information was a healthcare professional in both moderate and high-risk scenarios (80.1 and 75.5%). However, 18.1 and 20.1% respectively would prefer to be informed by a family member. Assuming that healthcare professionals disclosed the information, the favoured mode of information was letter and phone (38.4 and 33.2%). Conclusions In this study a majority of respondents wanted to be informed about a potential hereditary risk of CRC and preferred healthcare professionals to communicate this information. The two presented levels of CRC lifetime risk did not significantly affect the interest in being informed. Our data offer insights into the needs and preferences of the Swedish population, providing a rationale for developing complementary healthcare-assisted communication pathways to realise the full potential of targeted prevention of hereditary CRC.
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| 2. |
- Hawranek, Carolina, et al.
(författare)
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A focus group study of perceptions of genetic risk disclosure in members of the public in sweden: "I’ll phone the five closest ones, but what happens to the other ten?"
- 2021
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Ingår i: Journal of Personalized Medicine. - : MDPI. - 2075-4426. ; 11:11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study explores perceptions and preferences on receiving genetic risk informationabout hereditary cancer risk in members of the Swedish public. We conducted qualitative contentanalysis of five focus group discussions with participants (n = 18) aged between 24 and 71 years,recruited from various social contexts. Two prominent phenomena surfaced around the interplaybetween the three stakeholders involved in risk disclosure: the individual, healthcare, and therelative at risk. First, there is a genuine will to share risk information that can benefit others, evenif this is difficult and causes discomfort. Second, when the duty to inform becomes overwhelming,compromises are made, such as limiting one’s own responsibility of disclosure or projecting the mainresponsibility onto another party. In conclusion, our results reveal a discrepancy between publicexpectations and the actual services offered by clinical genetics. These expectations paired with desirefor a more personalized process and shared decision-making highlight a missing link in today’s riskcommunication and suggest a need for developed clinical routines with stronger healthcare–patientcollaboration. Future research needs to investigate the views of genetic professionals on how toaddress these expectations to co-create a transparent risk disclosure process which can realize the fullpotential of personalized prevention.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Hawranek, Carolina, et al.
(författare)
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Cancer worry distribution and willingness to undergo colonoscopy at three levels of hypothetical cancer risk - a population-based survey in Sweden
- 2022
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Ingår i: Cancers. - : MDPI. - 2072-6694. ; 14:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: We describe levels of cancer worry in the general population as measured with the Cancer Worry Scale (CWS) and investigate the association with colonoscopy screening intentions in three colorectal cancer risk scenarios. Methods: The data were sourced through a population-based survey. Respondents (n = 943) completed an eight-item CWS and questions on colonoscopy screening interest at three hypothetical risk levels. Results: Respondents without a personal cancer history (n = 853) scored 9.46 on the six-item CWS (mean, SD 2.72). Mean scores were significantly higher in women (9.91, SD 2.89) as compared to men (9.06, SD 2.49, p < 0.001). Linear regression showed higher cancer worry in women and those with children when controlling for education, age group, and country of birth. High cancer worry (six-item CWS mean >12) was identified in 25% of women and in 17% of men. Among those, 71% would attend a colonoscopy screening compared to 52% of those with low cancer worry (p < 0.001, 5% CRC-risk). Conclusions: The distribution of cancer worry in a general population sample showed higher mean scores in women, and levels overlapped with earlier findings in cancer-affected samples. Respondents with high cancer worry were more inclined to undergo a colonoscopy screening, and intention increased with higher levels of hypothetical risk.
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| 5. |
- Hawranek, Carolina, 1982-, et al.
(författare)
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Direct letters to relatives at risk of hereditary cancer-study protocol for a multi-center randomized controlled trial of healthcare-assisted versus family-mediated risk disclosure at Swedish cancer genetics clinics (DIRECT-study)
- 2023
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Ingår i: TRIALS. - : BioMed Central (BMC). - 1745-6215. ; 24:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background The results of germline genetic testing for hereditary cancer are of importance not only to the patients under investigation but also to their genetic at-risk relatives. Standard care is to encourage the proband (first family member under investigation) to pass on this risk information to the relatives. Previous research suggests that with family-mediated disclosure, only about a third of at-risk relatives contact health care to receive genetic counselling. In some studies, complementing family-mediated risk disclosure with healthcare-assisted risk disclosure almost doubles the uptake of genetic counselling in at-risk relatives. In this study, we evaluate healthcare-assisted direct letters to relatives at risk of hereditary cancer syndromes in a randomized controlled trial.MethodsProbands are recruited from Swedish outpatient cancer genetics clinics to this two-arm randomized controlled trial. The study recruits probands with either a pathogenic variant in a cancer susceptibility gene (BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2, MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, PMS2) or probands with familial breast and colorectal cancer based on clinical and pedigree criteria. In both arms, probands receive standard care, i.e., are encouraged and supported to pass on information to relatives. In the intervention arm, the proband is also offered to have direct letters sent to the at-risk relatives. The primary outcome measure is the proportion of at-risk relatives contacting a Swedish cancer genetics clinic within 12 months of the proband receiving the test results.DiscussionThis paper describes the protocol of a randomized controlled clinical trial evaluating a healthcare-assisted approach to risk disclosure by offering the probands to send direct letters to their at-risk relatives. The results of this study should be informative in the future development of risk disclosure practices in cancer genetics clinics.
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| 7. |
- Hawranek, Carolina, 1982-
(författare)
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Someone has to tell them : exploring hereditary cancer risk disclosure in Sweden
- 2023
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Summary in EnglishBackground: An awareness of hereditary susceptibility for breast, ovarian and colorectal cancer in high-risk families enables targeted cancer prevention. A discovered hereditary risk in one family member (proband) may thus be important for several members of that family. Identified at-risk relatives can be offered surveillance to allow early detection or in some cases risk-reducing surgery to lower the risk of disease and premature death. Problem: The current clinical praxis with family-mediated risk disclosure leaves up to half of all at-risk relatives uninformed of their potential cancer risk. Complementary disclosure pathways have demonstrated promising results suggesting new opportunities to develop clinical management of hereditary cancer risk disclosure. However, concerns over legal liability, risk of inducing cancer worry and lack of robust outcome data from randomized trials among other factors, have hampered translation of emerging findings into clinical practice.Aim: This thesis explores perceptions and preferences on the disclosure of risk information concerning hereditary cancer syndromes in the general public and in patients. The work also estimates cancer worry levels in the Swedish population and explores willingness to participate in screening colonoscopy at different hypothetical levels of lifetime risk of colorectal cancer. Methods: Two quantitative and two qualitative studies were designed to address the aims. Data collection included focus groups, a population survey, and semi-structured patient interviews. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and groups were compared using tests and regression analysis. Interview data was analyzed with inductive qualitative content analysis of both manifest and latent content. Focus was placed on participants’ perceptions and preferences and patients’ management of risk disclosure as well as their interaction with genetic healthcare professionals.Results: Study I describes how lay people view the roles and responsibilities involved in risk disclosure. Respondents assumed genetic healthcare professionals (HCPs) would have a clear mandate in leading the risk disclosure process and wanted to be actively involved in shaping this process. They expected healthcare services to provide easy-to-understand, personalized information suitable for themselves and potential relatives. Findings from Study II show a strong public preference to share and receive risk information about hereditary cancer (90% and 89% respectively in a 10% cancer risk scenario). A majority wanted to receive information about a potential hereditary cancer risk from a healthcare professional (80%) and also preferred healthcare services to inform their at-risk relatives (58%). Preferred options for contact were by letter or telephone, followed by digital options. Study III presents novel data on cancer worry levels in a Swedish population-based sample (mean 9.46 of a total 24 on the 6-item cancer worry scale). Female respondents and those with children had higher cancer worry scores, and those with higher worry levels were also more inclined to participate in a screening colonoscopy. For each increasing risk level presented (5, 10 or 70% lifetime risk of colorectal cancer) more respondents reported interest to undergo colonoscopy. Study IV describes patient experiences of family disclosure, which is seen as difficult yet important, and often performed for the sake of others. Patients also describe the feeling unqualified in the role as proband, while others consider it a straightforward task which needs to be done. The patient data also illustrates the difficulties in communicating complex health information and patients’ struggles to navigate benefits and drawbacks of interacting with relatives. Patients also envisioned solutions to perceived barriers and outlined alternatives for healthcare services to better facilitate the risk disclosure process.Conclusion: Findings in this thesis indicate a missing link in the communication between proband, relative and healthcare regarding hereditary cancer risk information. The combined results suggest that risk disclosure would benefit from being more:Standardized – by increasing transparency about the risk disclosure process and harmonize disclosure options to guide probands and healthcare professional in the clinical setting.Systematic – by establishing follow up of risk disclosure as routine care and clearly define communication duties of healthcare professionals and probands early in the process.Situational – by tailoring professional support for risk disclosure and adapting the content and approach to the coping style, behavioral type and need of each family.Clinical implications: This thesis highlights the challenges of risk disclosure in families with increased risk of hereditary cancer and strengthens the argument for shifting towards more healthcare involvement in the process of informing at-risk relatives. The findings complement existing evidence on how hereditary cancer risk disclosure could develop further to better support proactive management of cancer risk in families affected by hereditary cancer.
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