Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndrome: The Impact of Race on Uptake of Genetic Counseling and Testing

Breast cancer is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Although breast cancer is more common among White American (WA) women, incidence rates are higher among young African American (AA) women. Approximately 5–10% of all breast cancer can be accounted for by germline mutations in the breast cancer (BRCA)1 and BRCA2 genes responsible for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) syndrome. Although genetic counseling (GC) and genetic testing (GT) for HBOC have become widely accepted by the WA population, cancer genetic services are underused among AA. Many investigators have evaluated a wide spectrum of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in the AA and African population with the possible identification of African founder mutations. Barriers to GC and GT include lack of knowledge and/or negative attitudes regarding genetics and genetics research, and concerns regarding the potential for racial discrimination. It is important for future research to focus on ways in which to eliminate barriers to GC and GT to alleviate disparity in the use of genetic services among high-risk AA women.