Many Parents Share Genetic Test Findings...( But the children may be too young to ...),Health

But the children may be too young to handle the information, study suggests

FRIDAY, Aug. 17 (HealthDay News) -- As genetic testing for diseases becomes more commonplace, the impact of those findings on family members may be underestimated, researchers say.

For instance, some women who discover they have the BRCA gene mutation, which puts them at higher risk for breast cancer, choose to tell their children about it before the children are old enough to understand the significance or deal with it, a new study found.

"Parents with the BRCA mutation are discussing their genetic test results with their offspring often many years before the offspring would need to do anything," said study author Dr. Angela Bradbury, director of the Fox Chase Cancer Center's Family Risk Assessment Program, in Philadelphia.

According to Bradbury, more than half of parents she surveyed told their children about genetic test results. Some parents reported that their children didn't seem to understand the significance of the information, and some had initial negative reactions to the news.

"A lot of genetic information is being shared within families and there hasn't been a lot of guidance from health-care professionals," Bradbury said. "While this genetic risk may be shared accurately, there is risk of inaccurate sharing."

In the study, Bradbury's team interviewed 42 women who had the BRCA mutation. The researchers found that 55 percent of parents discussed the finding and the risk of breast cancer with at least one of their children who was under 25.

Also, most of the women didn't avail themselves of the services of a doctor or genetic counselor in helping to tell their children, Bradbury's group found.

Bradbury is concerned that sharing genetic information with young children can create anxiety. "The children could be overly concerned about their own risk at a time when there is nothing that they
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