1 November, 2024
Women who have inherited an alteration in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes have an elevated lifetime risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. To address this risk, these women are managed with surveillance and/or risk-reduction strategies. Surveillance using mammogram and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) aims to detect cancer at an early stage when it is most treatable. Surveillance does not prevent a cancer diagnosis. Risk-reduction strategies, on the other hand, are aimed at lowering the risk of cancer developing. These include surgical removal of the ovaries and fallopian tubes, surgical removal of both breasts, or chemoprevention where the woman takes anti-hormone medication.
Decisions about which risk management strategies to choose can be complex and women often struggle with the decision-making process.
Researchers from the Breast Care department in St James’s Hospital and the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin have developed a web-based patient decision aid for women with a BRCA alteration to support the decision-making process for these women.
Development of the decision aid was guided by international best practices in decision aid development and involved direct patient input.
This evidence based decision aid includes information, graphics and images relating to cancer risk, surgical and medical options and potential side effects. The website also includes activities where women can work through their feelings in relation to each of the options that they are considering. This will assist women in understanding their risk and options; empowering them to make an informed choice as part of their personal risk-management strategy.
The decision aid can be widely circulated and accessed by patients and clinicians at home and within breast cancer family-risk clinics. Breast cancer family-risk clinics are regularly held throughout Ireland. The use of this decision aid will enable the patient and clinician to have more focused and meaningful discussions regarding risk-reducing strategies based on trusted evidence, facilitating more in-depth shared decision-making. Having the most current evidenced based information readily accessible will instil confidence when making such complex important healthcare decisions.
The decision aid (brcadecisionaid.ie), which was funded by the Irish Cancer Society, will go live on October 31st with a formal launch to follow.
For more information Contact:
Yvonne Hanhauser yhanhauser@stjames.ie or Dr Sarah McGarrigle, Email: smcgarrigle@stjames.ie
The website will be available at https://www.brcadecisionaid.ie