Assessment Psychological Distress for Cancer Heredity Test

The study of hereditary cancer related syndromes allows reducing the risk of suffering in cancer to patients and close relatives. The objective of this study will be to evaluate the prevelance of psychological morbidity in patients attended at cancer genetic counselling unit, and to determine the socio-demographic and clinical factors that influence it. A descriptive cross-sectional study will be carried out. Patients attented at the cancer genetic counselling unit, who have criteria for conducting a genetic syndrome test related to hererditary cancer, will be consecutively evaluated. To knowing the psychological morbidity it is relevant to providing care for these patients.

Nowadays several familial cancer syndromes that confer a high lifetime risk of cancer can be identified with genetic testing. The psychological impact of genetic testing and the rates of psychological distress in patients undergoing genetic testing vary between 6 to 65% depending on socio-demographic or clinical characteristics. The effect of baseline distress on post-testing assessments tended to decrease or show little change over time, it may be important to target patients with high baseline distress for additional counseling or intervention both pre-testing and over time.The most robust predictor of future distress is baseline distress, additional factors were associated with cancer risk perception considering family history of cancer, patient's affected or unaffected with cancer, etc... It is relevant to developing and providing care for these patients, it has been demonstrated that enhanced genetic counseling with clinical psychologist to facilitate decision-making process, managing family concerns promoting their communication with and involvement of family members, and attending their emotional distress, can be beneficial. Also, cancer genetic counseling may promote patient use of personal resources and enhance patient health literacy about their syndrome.