Uncertainty in<i>BRCA1</i>cancer susceptibility testing

AbstractThis study investigated uncertainty in individuals undergoing genetic counseling/testing for breast/ovarian cancer susceptibility. Sixty‐three individuals from a single kindred with a knownBRCA1mutation rated uncertainty about 12 items on a five‐point Likert scale before and 1 month after genetic counseling/testing. Factor analysis identified a five‐item total uncertainty scale that was sensitive to changes before and after testing. The items in the scale were related to uncertainty about obtaining health care, positive changes after testing, and coping well with results. The majority of participants (76%) rated reducing uncertainty as an important reason for genetic testing. The importance of reducing uncertainty was stable across time and unrelated to anxiety or demographics. Yet, at baseline, total uncertainty was low and decreased after genetic counseling/testing (P = 0.004). Analysis of individual items showed that after genetic counseling/testing, there waslessuncertainty about the participant detecting cancer early (P = 0.005) and coping well with their result (P &lt; 0.001). Our findings support the importance to clients of genetic counseling/testing as a means of r