Changes of Socio-demographic data of clients seeking genetic counseling for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer due to the “Angelina Jolie Effect”

BMC Cancer

Research Article

Georg Pfeiler¹  Muy-Kheng M. Tea¹  Romana Renz¹  Katharina Hrauda¹  Christian F. Singer¹  Andreas Berger¹  Renate Lichtenschopf¹  Christine Staudigl² 

[1] Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Senology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria;Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Senology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria;Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hospital of the Sisters of Charity Linz, 4020, Linz, Austria;

关键词: BRCA;    Hereditary breast and ovarian cancer;    Genetic counseling;    Angelina Jolie;    Socio-demographic data;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12885-016-2472-1

 received in 2015-10-28, accepted in 2016-06-30,  发布年份 2016

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to evaluate socio-demographic characteristics of clients claiming genetic counseling for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) in Austria. Furthermore, changes of these parameters before and after Angelina Jolie’s (AJ) disclosure of carrying a BRCA mutation were evaluated.MethodsIn this prospective, nonrandomized study 268 consecutive clients seeking genetic counseling for HBOC at the Medical University of Vienna, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vienna, Austria between June 2012 and June 2014 were included. Socio-demographic data and source of information about HBOC and genetic counseling were evaluated. First, socio-demographic parameters were compared to the general Austrian population. Second, changes in these parameters after AJ’s public disclosure of carrying a BRCA mutation were analyzed.ResultsSubjects were more frequent female, younger and higher educated in comparison to Austria’s general population (p < 0.001). Furthermore, level of education in participants was higher before than after AJ’s disclosure (p = 0.046). Most clients were informed about genetic counseling by physicians. As expected, after AJ’s public announcement patients were more frequent advised to genetic counseling by social media (p = 0.043) and family or friends (p = 0.010) than before.ConclusionsIn this present study we could demonstrate that particularly younger and female participants with high educational level attended significantly more often genetic counseling for HBOC. Increased presence of HBOC in media since AJ’s disclosure of carrying a BRCA mutation had lead that information and awareness about HBOC was obtained by a wider audience from different social background.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s). 2016