The PDQ cancer information summaries are reviewed regularly and updated as new information becomes available. This section describes the latest changes made to this summary as of the date above.

Cancer Risk Assessment and Counseling

Added text to state that knowledge deficits in hereditary cancer syndromes and concerns about genetic discrimination influence provider referral patterns for genetic counseling and that a survey in California showed that a majority of providers were unable to identify cases appropriate for referral and were unaware of existing federal and state protective laws (cited Lowstuter et al. as reference 26).

Education and Counseling About Risk/Risk Communication

Added text about a study that examined the use of two different visual aids to communicate breast cancer risk. Overall, there were no differences in improved accuracy of risk perception between women who received feedback via a bar graph alone or a bar graph plus a frequency diagram, but among women who inaccurately perceived very high risk at baseline, the group receiving both visual aids showed greater improvement in accuracy (cited Ghosh et al. as reference 5).

The Option of Genetic Testing

Added text about a study that examined consumer and physician awareness of nutrigenomic testing in Michigan, Oregon, and Utah, that found those who had higher incomes, greater education, and increasing age were more aware of nutrigenomic tests (cited Goddard et al. as reference 29).

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