Decision regret following rapid genetic testing at the time of breast cancer diagnosis
7 affiliations
- 1Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada
- 2Women’s College Research and Innovation Institute Toronto Ontario Canada
- 3Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Toronto Ontario Canada
- 4Temerty Faculty of Medicine University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada
- 5Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre Barrie Ontario Canada
- 6Trillium Health Centre Mississauga Ontario Canada
- 7Vanderbilt‐Ingram Cancer Center at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Nashville Tennessee USA
Abstract
Introduction: Genetic testing is increasingly being offered at the time of breast cancer diagnosis to help women guide their treatment decisions. The objective of the current study was to measure decision regret 1 year after genetic testing and to evaluate the factors associated with regret.
Methods: Women from across Canada were referred to receive rapid genetic testing for breast cancer predisposition genes at the time of breast cancer diagnosis (BRCA1, BRCA2, CDH1, PALB2, PTEN, STK11, TP53, ATM, and CHEK2). Questionnaires were completed prior to testing and 1‐week and 1‐year postgenetic testing. Decision regret was measured at one‐year.
Results: Overall, 871 women participated and the mean age at diagnosis was 46.0 years (range 19–70 years), and 522 (59.9%) of the women were White. Pathogenic variants were found in 83 women (9.5%). The mean score for decision regret was 7.86 (SD 14.17), with 802 women (92.1%) having no regret and 69 participants (7.9%) having regret. Women from racialized groups were more likely to regret their decision compared to White women (13.4% vs 4.4%; p < .001). Those with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 pathogenic variant were significantly more likely to have regret compared to those with a negative result (p = .03).
Conclusion: A minority of women who have rapid genetic testing at the time of breast cancer diagnosis later regret their decision. Women at greater risk of having decision regret included those who received a positive BRCA1 or BRCA2 genetic test, and those from racialized groups. Follow‐up counseling may be warranted for those who experience decision regret.
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BibTeX
@article{hsu2026decision,
title = {{Decision regret following rapid genetic testing at the time of breast cancer diagnosis}},
author = {Ling‐Fang Hsu and Andrea Eisen and Aletta Poll and David W. Lim and Frances C. Wright and Renee Hanrahan and Alana Hosein and Tuya Pal and Steven Narod and Kelly Metcalfe},
journal = {Cancer},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.1002/cncr.70663},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.70663},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Decision regret following rapid genetic testing at the time of breast cancer diagnosis
AU - Ling‐Fang Hsu
AU - Andrea Eisen
AU - Aletta Poll
AU - David W. Lim
AU - Frances C. Wright
AU - Renee Hanrahan
AU - Alana Hosein
AU - Tuya Pal
AU - Steven Narod
AU - Kelly Metcalfe
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/01
JO - Cancer
DO - 10.1002/cncr.70663
UR - https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.70663
AB - Introduction: Genetic testing is increasingly being offered at the time of breast cancer diagnosis to help women guide their treatment decisions. The objective of the current study was to measure decision regret 1 year after genetic testing and to evaluate the factors associated with regret. Methods: Women from across Canada were referred to receive rapid genetic testing for breast cancer predisposition genes at the time of breast cancer diagnosis (BRCA1, BRCA2, CDH1, PALB2, PTEN, STK11, TP53, ATM, and CHEK2). Questionnaires were completed prior to testing and 1‐week and 1‐year postgenetic testing. Decision regret was measured at one‐year. Results: Overall, 871 women participated and the mean age at diagnosis was 46.0 years (range 19–70 years), and 522 (59.9%) of the women were White. Pathogenic variants were found in 83 women (9.5%). The mean score for decision regret was 7.86 (SD 14.17), with 802 women (92.1%) having no regret and 69 participants (7.9%) having regret. Women from racialized groups were more likely to regret their decision compared to White women (13.4% vs 4.4%; p < .001). Those with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 pathogenic variant were significantly more likely to have regret compared to those with a negative result (p = .03). Conclusion: A minority of women who have rapid genetic testing at the time of breast cancer diagnosis later regret their decision. Women at greater risk of having decision regret included those who received a positive BRCA1 or BRCA2 genetic test, and those from racialized groups. Follow‐up counseling may be warranted for those who experience decision regret.
SN - 0008-543X
SN - 1097-0142
ER -