Women at risk of ovarian cancer.

This paper evaluates perceived cancer risk and worry about cancer among women with genetic risk of ovarian cancer. Women with a first-degree relative with ovarian cancer who were participating in screening were compared with a general population sample who had been screened the previous year and a group of community controls. The results showed that both worry about cancer and perceived risk were higher in the screening groups than in the controls. Estimates of general-population prevalence were on the optimistic side (only 31% estimating that more than one of 10 women would develop cancer in their lifetime) and were unrelated to any psychologic factors, genetic risk, or to personal experience of cancer, but were related to occupational status. In multivariate analyses, perceived personal cancer risk was higher in screening attenders and related to (lower) optimism and knowing more people with cancer. Cancer worry was also higher in screening attenders and associated with lower optimism and a monitoring coping style.