Quillin John M, Fries Elizabeth, McClish Donna, Shaw de Paredes Ellen, Bodurtha Joann
Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, 401 College Street, Richmond, Virginia 23298-0037, USA.
J Behav Med. 2004 Apr;27(2):205-14. doi: 10.1023/b:jobm.0000019852.53048.b3.
Patients can benefit from accessible breast cancer risk information. The Gail model is a well-known means of providing risk information to patients and for guiding clinical decisions. Risk presentation often includes 5-year and life-time percent chances for a woman to develop breast cancer. How do women perceive their risks after Gail model risk assessment? This exploratory study used a randomized clinical trial design to address this question among women not previously selected for breast cancer risk. Results suggest a brief risk assessment intervention changes quantitative and comparative risk perceptions and improves accuracy. This study improves our understanding of risk perceptions by evaluating an intervention in a population not previously selected for high-risk status and measuring perceptions in a variety of formats.