More Than 62 Percent Mother Love To Discuss Breast Cancer Test Results with Children

After undergoing check-ups or tests of certain diseases, women always tell the results on those closest to in order to get support. A single study says mothers who have recently undergone breast cancer tests rather discuss the results with their children.

The study involved 221 women who had recently undergone tests to determine the presence or absence of BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations, which can increase the risk of breast cancer in a person.

Sure enough, a month after receiving the results of the test, 62 percent of participants admitted telling the test results to their children (age range from 8 to 21 years). But this is the case if the results came back negative or inconclusive, and if the children have aged 13 years and over.

"The test results were negative mothers seen as 'good news' so as to reduce the worries of her children," said researcher Kenneth Tercyak, director of the prevention research center behavior of Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, USA.

"Instead women who do not share the test results with their children think that their children not old enough to examine the information. They may decide to share the information if the time is right," he added.

From there Tercyak and his colleagues concluded that a number of factors into consideration to decide to tell parents their children related information such as test results or not cancer include: age or maturity level of the child, whether the parents have been involved in similar conversations before or not (perhaps brother from cancer-related deaths), and whether the children asking several questions about the risk of cancer as well as their own parents.

"It's not about right and wrong, it is the choice of each family to decide what they should do and when. But clearly this is not an easy choice," said Tercyak as reported by Huffingtonpost, Friday (05/07/2013).

But the same study also found that mothers who share test results with their children's feeling more satisfied with the decision, than mothers who remain keep the information confidential.

Noteworthy is the children who had mothers with BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutations 50 percent higher risk for inheriting the same mutation. "So maybe the mothers worry if they discuss their cancer risk will cause the child anxious or nervous, let alone no prevention options they can do," added Tercyak.