Attitudes to breast cancer risk assessment and lifestyle advice
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A descriptive, cross sectional, self complete survey to assess women’s interest in and preferences for having a personal breast cancer risk assessment and lifestyle information when they attend for NHS breast cancer screening
IRAS ID
133042
Contact name
Jack Cuzick
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
QMUL - Queen Mary University London
Research summary
Despite a steady decline in deaths from breast cancer, during the last two decades, incidence rates have continued to increase and 40% of tumours occur during the three-yearly NHS breast screening interval. Identifying women at higher than average risk, offering more frequent screening intervals and, if appropriate, other preventative treatment may therefore help reduce these interval cancers. Having a personal risk assessment could also provide a powerful teachable moment for educating women more about how some lifestyle factors can affect their breast cancer risk. I.e. around a fifth of all UK cases are attributed to weight gain, obesity, physical inactivity and alcohol consumption. Helping women to understand this and make any necessary changes could also help to reduce breast cancer incidence. The main purpose of this research is to establish whether and how women attending five, socio ethnically diverse, NHS breast cancer screening clinics, in London and Bristol, wish to be offered a personal breast cancer risk appraisal and lifestyle advice, whether they think this would affect their breast cancer anxiety, their lifestyle behaviours or future attendance at breast screening. During the four to six week fieldwork period, all women attending the designated breast screening clinics will be eligible to participate. On arrival, a radiographer will very briefly explain the research and ask each woman if she would like to take away an Information Pack, containing the survey questionnaire, a Participant Information Sheet and postage paid return envelope. Regardless of whether or not a woman accepts or declines a pack, she will then proceed with her breast screening appointment in the normal way. The decision to complete the survey will therefore not be made at the screening clinic and informed consent be only be given if and when a woman decides to complete and return a questionnaire at home.
REC name
East of England - Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/EE/0311
Date of REC Opinion
29 Aug 2013
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion