Worry Is Good for Breast Cancer Screening: A Study of Female Relatives from the Ontario Site of the Breast Cancer Family Registry

Li Rita Zhang,Anna M. Chiarelli,Irene L. Andrulis,Lucia Mirea,Julia A. Knight,Paul Ritvo,Gord Glendon

doi:10.1155/2012/545062

Abstract

Background. Few prospective studies have examined associations between breast cancer worry and screening behaviours in women with elevated breast cancer risks based on family history. Methods. This study included 901 high familial risk women, aged 23–71 years, from the Ontario site of the Breast Cancer Family Registry. Self-reported breast screening behaviours at year-one followup were compared between women at low (N = 305), medium (N = 433), and high (N = 163) levels of baseline breast cancer worry using logistic regression. Nonlinear relationships were assessed using likelihood ratio tests. Results. A significant non-linear inverted “U” relationship was observed between breast cancer worry and mammography screening (P = 0.034) for all women, where women at either low or high worry levels were less likely than those at medium to have a screening mammogram. A similar significant non-linear inverted “U” relationship was also found among all women and women at low familial risk for worry and screening clinical breast examinations (CBEs). Conclusions. Medium levels of cancer worries predicted higher rates of screening mammography and CBE among high-risk women.

Highlights

In 2010, about 8,900 Ontario women were diagnosed with breast cancer while 2,100 died of the disease [1]
A recent review indicated that screening mammography reduced breast cancer mortality for women 39–69 years [4], and while no differentiation was found by familial breast cancer risk, other studies support the effectiveness of mammography and clinical breast examination (CBE) in breast cancer detection in elevated risk women [5, 6]
Among all women in this cohort, we observed a significant nonlinear inverted “U” relationship indicating a lower likelihood of obtaining a screening mammogram at followup if baseline worry levels were low or high compared to medium

Summary

Introduction

In 2010, about 8,900 Ontario women were diagnosed with breast cancer while 2,100 died of the disease [1]. Few prospective studies have examined associations between breast cancer worry and screening behaviours in women with elevated breast cancer risks based on family history. Self-reported breast screening behaviours at year-one followup were compared between women at low (N = 305), medium (N = 433), and high (N = 163) levels of baseline breast cancer worry using logistic regression. A significant non-linear inverted “U” relationship was observed between breast cancer worry and mammography screening (P = 0.034) for all women, where women at either low or high worry levels were less likely than those at medium to have a screening mammogram. A similar significant non-linear inverted “U” relationship was found among all women and women at low familial risk for worry and screening clinical breast examinations (CBEs). Medium levels of cancer worries predicted higher rates of screening mammography and CBE among high-risk women

Methods

Results

Conclusion