A study looking at communication about breast cancer that runs in families

This study is to understand more about the feelings of women who are told that their cancer could, or does, run in the family at the same time as they are newly diagnosed with breast cancer.

Until recently, if you had breast cancer and a family history of the disease, your specialist would generally refer you to discuss the possibility of having your genes tested (genetic test) after you had finished treatment. But there is now increasing demand for women with a family history to have genetic testing when they are diagnosed, as the results can help doctors to work out the best surgery and treatment.

But we don’t know much about how women are affected by having genetic testing when they are first diagnosed. Researchers in this study want to better understand what it is like for women to learn that their newly diagnosed breast cancer does, or could, run in the family (be hereditary).