Table 4 Risk perception as measured in the BRISC study

Population risk

Lifetime breast cancer risk in the general population

X

X

Very small – very large

X

X

Risks among carriers

Lifetime breast cancer risk in carriers

X

X

Very small – very large

X

X

Risk passing a BRCA1/BRCA2 mutation to children

X

X

Very small – very large

Participant's risks

Perceived risk of having a hereditary predisposition to breast cancer

X

X

Very small – very large Easy to imagine – hard to imagine

Perceived lifetime breast cancer risk

X

X

Very small – very large

Easy to imagine – hard to imagine

Very unlikely – very likely

Perceived age-related breast cancer risk (next ten years)

X

X

Very small – very large Easy to imagine – hard to imagine

Very unlikely – very likely

Appraisal of perceived breast cancer risk, independent of actual risk

Very small – very large Very unfearful – very fearful

Not worrisome at all – very worrisome

Perceived breast cancer risk compared to the average Dutch Woman

Very strongly lowered – very strongly heightened

Risks among women with the same family history and age

Lifetime breast cancer risk in women with the same family history and age

X

X

X

Age-related breast cancer risk in women with the same family history and age (next ten years)

X

X

X