KNOWLEDGE AND ACCEPTANCE ABOUT RISK REDUCING MEASURES IN WOMEN REFERRED TO HIGH RISK BREAST CANCER CLINIC IN WOMEN’S HOSPITAL IN STATE UNIVERSITY OF CAMPINAS

Nicoli Serquiz de Azevedo, Patricia Kajikawa, Gabriel Y. Ikejiri, Gislaine A. F. Carvasan, Natalie Rios Almeida, Tamara P. de Oliveira, Renato Z. Torresan, César C. dos Santos

Objectives: the study intended to estimate the knowledge about breast risk reduction measures in women referred to a brazilian specialized High Risk Clinic for breast cancer and evaluate the acceptance of risk-reducing surgery in the hypothesis of a medical indication. We also evaluated the variables that can be related with this decision. Methods: There were included women referred to High Risk Breast Cancer Clinic in Women’s Hospital in State University of Campinas, from December 2014 to July 2015. We collected sociodemographic data (age, education level) and history of prior breast biopsy with atypical lesions and family history of breast cancer. The lifetime breast cancer risk was calculated with Tyrer-Cuzick and Gail tools and we analysed the risk perception with notes ranging from 0 to 10. It was applied a questionnaire that contained questions about breast risk reducing measures, acceptance of bilateral mastectomy and bilateral oophorectomy. The correlation between acceptance of risk reducing surgeries and the different variables was calculate with Fisher and Wilcoxon test. Results: Among the 98 patients included, 74.5% of women were not aware of any measure reducing risk. Only 4.1% of had knowledge about prophylactic mastectomy, but no one about prophylactic oophorectomy or chemoprevention. After explanation of potential benefits in selected cases, 60.2% of patients reported accept undergoing bilateral mastectomy risk and 75%, bilateral oophorectomy. The presence of a first degree relative with breast cancer was the only factor significantly associated with the acceptance of profilatic mastectomy. Conclusion: for high-risk women for breast cancer in Brazil, there is lack information and access to all types of risk-reducing measures. Without genetic counseling and with no orientation of complications and colateral effects, the acceptance of a eventually risk reducing surgey indication is very high, especially for those with a family history of breast cancer.