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Breast cancer - managing family history - Management
Basis for recommendation
- These recommendations are based on the guideline from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), Familial breast cancer: the classification and care of women at risk of familial breast cancer in primary, secondary and tertiary care [NICE, 2006a]. NICE commissioned the National Collaborating Centre for Primary Care to produce the evidence review and develop the clinical guidelines [McIntosh et al, 2004].
- NICE recommends that if the woman has breast symptoms, or has concerns about relatives with breast cancer, that a first- and second-degree family history should be taken. A family history allows a classification of risk to be made that will direct further management decisions.
- NICE found:
- Four observational studies that assessed the accuracy of the family history provided by women (735 women with breast cancer and 251 women without breast cancer) and concluded that family histories were generally reliable.
- A review of five case studies that showed the importance of verifying the history.
- One longitudinal, qualitative study of 46 women attending a UK genetics clinic for familial breast/ovarian cancer that found that poor communication between family members may impede the collection of family history.
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