Biomaterial Database

Cancer genetics--survey of primary care physicians' attitudes and practices. 1997

L C Friedman, and S E Plon, and H P Cooper, and A D Weinberg

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.

BACKGROUND Genetic testing for susceptibility to cancer often involves complex medical, ethical, legal, and psychological issues that present a challenge for physicians in clinical practice. METHODS This study is based on survey data from 101 primary care physicians throughout Texas, measuring their interest in and attitudes about cancer genetics. RESULTS The majority of physicians surveyed reported that they would consider genetic screening for at least one of seven genetic disorders that predispose to cancer, and almost 20% had made one or more referrals for genetic evaluation and DNA testing. Overall, they wanted to see a variety of continuing education programs and educational materials on DNA testing for cancer susceptibility developed. Although most of the physicians accurately perceived a number of major obstacles to referring patients for genetic testing, barriers such as difficulty in interpreting test results, potential for false-positive and false-negative results, and concern about patients'reactions to test results were reported less frequently. CONCLUSIONS The results support other evidence for a need to provide continuing education to physicians about genetic testing for susceptibility to cancer.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D009369	Neoplasms	New abnormal growth of tissue. Malignant neoplasms show a greater degree of anaplasia and have the properties of invasion and metastasis, compared to benign neoplasms.	Benign Neoplasm,Cancer,Malignant Neoplasm,Tumor,Tumors,Benign Neoplasms,Malignancy,Malignant Neoplasms,Neoplasia,Neoplasm,Neoplasms, Benign,Cancers,Malignancies,Neoplasias,Neoplasm, Benign,Neoplasm, Malignant,Neoplasms, Malignant
D010817	Physician-Patient Relations	The interactions between physician and patient.	Doctor-Patient Relations,Doctor Patient Relations,Physician Patient Relations,Physician Patient Relationship,Doctor Patient Relation,Doctor-Patient Relation,Physician Patient Relation,Physician Patient Relationships,Physician-Patient Relation,Relation, Doctor Patient,Relation, Doctor-Patient,Relation, Physician Patient,Relation, Physician-Patient,Relations, Doctor Patient,Relations, Doctor-Patient,Relations, Physician Patient,Relations, Physician-Patient,Relationship, Physician Patient,Relationships, Physician Patient
D010821	Physicians, Family	Those physicians who have completed the education requirements specified by the American Academy of Family Physicians.	Family Physician,Family Physicians,Physician, Family
D012017	Referral and Consultation	The practice of sending a patient to another program or practitioner for services or advice which the referring source is not prepared to provide.	Consultation,Gatekeepers, Health Service,Hospital Referral,Second Opinion,Consultation and Referral,Health Service Gatekeepers,Hospital Referrals,Referral,Referral, Hospital,Referrals, Hospital,Consultations,Gatekeeper, Health Service,Health Service Gatekeeper,Opinion, Second,Opinions, Second,Referrals,Second Opinions
D004247	DNA	A deoxyribonucleotide polymer that is the primary genetic material of all cells. Eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms normally contain DNA in a double-stranded state, yet several important biological processes transiently involve single-stranded regions. DNA, which consists of a polysugar-phosphate backbone possessing projections of purines (adenine and guanine) and pyrimidines (thymine and cytosine), forms a double helix that is held together by hydrogen bonds between these purines and pyrimidines (adenine to thymine and guanine to cytosine).	DNA, Double-Stranded,Deoxyribonucleic Acid,ds-DNA,DNA, Double Stranded,Double-Stranded DNA,ds DNA
D004502	Education, Medical, Continuing	Educational programs designed to inform physicians of recent advances in their field.	Medical Education, Continuing,Continuing Medical Education,Education, Continuing Medical
D005188	False Negative Reactions	Negative test results in subjects who possess the attribute for which the test is conducted. The labeling of diseased persons as healthy when screening in the detection of disease. (Last, A Dictionary of Epidemiology, 2d ed)	False Negative Reaction,Reaction, False Negative,Reactions, False Negative
D005189	False Positive Reactions	Positive test results in subjects who do not possess the attribute for which the test is conducted. The labeling of healthy persons as diseased when screening in the detection of disease. (Last, A Dictionary of Epidemiology, 2d ed)	False Positive Reaction,Positive Reaction, False,Positive Reactions, False,Reaction, False Positive,Reactions, False Positive