Interest and Beliefs about BRCA Genetic Counseling Among At-Risk Latinas in New York City: Development of a Culturally-Tailored Narrative Educational Tool

Background: Latinas disproportionately underuse genetic services (counseling and testing) for hereditary breast and/or ovarian cancer risk. Meanwhile, little is known about barriers to genetic counseling among Latinas at increased risk of inherited breast cancer. Methods: A two-phase pilot study was conducted to examine interest, barriers and beliefs about BRCA genetic counseling and begin development of a culturally-tailored narrative educational tool for at-risk Latinas in New York City. Phase 1 included quantitative telephone interviews (N=15) with bilingual participants with a personal diagnosis at a young age and/or family history of breast and/or ovarian cancer. Quantitative results informed development of a culturally-tailored narrative educational presentation viewed by a subset of participants (N=10) in Phase 2 focus groups. Results: Despite barriers, including lack of awareness/knowledge, concerns related to learning cancer risks of family members, and concerns about cost/health insurance, participants reported positive attitudes, beliefs and interest in learning about BRCA genetic counseling. Further, significant increases in knowledge were demonstrated from pre-post presentation (p=0.04). Conclusion: There is an unmet need to educate at-risk Latinas about BRCA genetic counseling. Culturally-tailored educational materials including narratives may increase knowledge about BRCA genetic counseling among this underserved group.