Comparison of latina and non-latina white women's beliefs about communicating genetic cancer risk to relatives

Breast cancer accounts for 30% of cancer among Latinas, and ovarian cancer is more common in Latinas than in non-Latina Whites. Latinas with a personal or family history of these cancers are increasingly referred for genetic cancer risk assessment (GCRA), but little is known about their perspectives regarding informing relatives of genetic cancer risk. We described and compared the pre-GCRA beliefs about informing relatives of genetic cancer risk, using survey data previously collected within a larger study. The sample included 475 Latina (N=183; 39%) and non-Latina (N=292; 61%) White women with a personal or family history of breast or ovarian cancers. Data analysis used descriptive statistics, chi-square and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests, and logistic regression. Findings revealed that most women believed their relatives should be informed of genetic cancer risk (92%), that informing was strictly a personal duty (88%), and that informing should be done only in person (60%). Multiple logistic regression demonstrated that education (odds ratio [OR] 2.55, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.15-5.66), Latina ethnicity (odds ratio [OR] 0.22, 95% CI, 0.09-0.53), and Spanish as primary language (OR, 0.17, 95% CI, 0.06-0.47) were independently associated with the belief that a clinician should be the informant.