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Physician Risk Assessment Knowledge Regarding BRCA Genetics Testing

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Abstract

The study aim was to evaluate the association between genetics referrals, training in medical school, residency, or continuing medical education and physician knowledge of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC). A survey of 55 questions was administered to 140 physicians evaluating knowledge and practice patterns regarding HBOC. Physicians with genetics training during residency were more likely to recognize that most instances of ovarian cancer are not hereditary (odds ratio (OR) = 3.16; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.32, 7.58). Physicians with continuing medical education (CME) training on genetics were more likely to identify that screening can be improved for those with a hereditary mutation (OR = 4.28; 95 % CI 1.32, 13.90). Primary care physicians who frequently referred for genetics were more likely to recognize that maternal history is not more important than paternal history (OR = 2.51; 95 % CI 1.11, 5.66), that screening can be improved for those with hereditary risk (OR = 4.06; 95 % CI 1.08, 15.22), and that females with a hereditary breast cancer risk would have different recommendations for screening than someone without this risk (OR = 4.91; 95 % CI 1.04, 23.25). Our data suggest that training and frequency of genetics referrals may be associated with knowledge of general risk assessment for HBOC.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to acknowledge Candi Rosen for assisting with manuscript review and Mahnaz Tehrani for her assistance with literature reviews.

Conflict of Interest

No competing financial interests exist.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Academic Medicine Scholars Program, NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, NY, 11548, USA

    Jason Cohn

  2. Department of Family Medicine, NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, NY, 11548, USA

    William Blazey & Brookshield Laurent

  3. Department of Medicine, NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, NY, 11548, USA

    David Tegay, Sharon Koehler & Bhuma Krishnamachari

  4. Academic Health Care Center, NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, NY, 11548, USA

    Brian Harper

  5. Division of Research, NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, NY, 11548, USA

    Vivian Chan, Min-Kyung Jung & Bhuma Krishnamachari

  6. PO Box 8000, Old Westbury, NY, 11568, USA

    Bhuma Krishnamachari

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  1. Jason Cohn
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  2. William Blazey
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  3. David Tegay
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  8. Min-Kyung Jung
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  9. Bhuma Krishnamachari
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Correspondence to Bhuma Krishnamachari.

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Cohn, J., Blazey, W., Tegay, D. et al. Physician Risk Assessment Knowledge Regarding BRCA Genetics Testing. J Canc Educ 30, 573–579 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-014-0724-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-014-0724-9

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