Nearly 9 out of 10 women overestimate how likely they are to develop breast cancer in their lifetimes, according to new study findings.
In the study, a group of 175 women estimated that the chance of developing breast cancer was, on average, 46 percent -- much higher than the actual average risk of 13 percent.
Previous research has shown that women who speak to a counselor about their risk of breast cancer tend to become less motivated to schedule regular mammograms -- perhaps because, during counseling, they learn the actual risk of breast cancer is much lower than they expected.
Clinicians are thus faced with a "dilemma," the authors write in the journal Patient Education and Counseling: should they be honest with women about the odds of breast cancer, and risk that this information makes them lackadaisical about screening?
A woman's risk of breast cancer "is not as high as you think it is, but that doesn't mean the risk is zero," study author Dr. Angela Fagerlin of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor told Reuters Health. "You definitely need to have your screening every year," she added.
During the study, Fagerlin and her team asked 175 out of 356 women to estimate the average risk of breast cancer, then told all the women that the actual risk was 13 percent.
Only 7 percent of women asked to estimate their risk came close to the actual number. Among the women not asked to estimate their risk, on the other hand, 37 percent said they thought 13 percent was close to "what they expected."
In an interview, Fagerlin noted that people likely don't "carry a number in their head of their risk of breast cancer." Women asked to pinpoint their risk likely are influenced by the fact that people often talk about breast cancer, making it seem more common than it is, she said.
In contrast, if they are told outright that it's 13 percent, that sounds okay. "Everything makes sense after you've heard about it," Fagerlin noted.
Fagerlin cautioned that the risk of 13 percent is an "average," and each woman might have a higher or lower risk depending on family history and other factors. A woman's individual risk "is something only (she and her) doctor can determine," Fagerlin said.
She added that she and her team have found similar findings in men about their risk of prostate cancer.
多数女性对患乳腺癌的危险估计过高
一份最新的研究结果显示，几乎有十分之九的女性会对自己一生中患上乳腺癌的危险估计过高。在研究过程中，175名妇女的平均估计值为46%，而这远远高于实际的平均患此病的危险--13%。
据路透社6月13日报道，以前曾有研究显示，那些向顾问咨询过其患此病危险的妇女，就趋向于不那么积极地进行定期乳房X射线检查了。或许这是因为在咨询过程中，她们得知实际的患病危险比她们预想的要低很多。
鉴于上述情况，临床医生也面临着一个"进退两难的局面"，他们应该对妇女们提出的关于患乳腺癌几率的问题给予如实解答吗？这一信息可能会让她们产生懈怠，从而不愿意进行定期检查了。
该研究项目负责人、美国密歇根大学的安吉拉·法格林表示，妇女患上乳腺癌的危险并不像人们想象的那么高，但这并不意味着危险就等于零了。她还同时表示，女性每年都应该进行定期的X射线检查。
在研究过程中，法格林和她的研究小组让356名妇女中的175人估计了女性患乳腺癌的平均比率，然后又告知所有的人，正确答案应该是13%。其中只有7%妇女的估计数值和实际情况接近。另外，在那些没有被问到的妇女中，有37%的人表示，她们认为13%这个数值和她们预想的相接近。
法格林表示，多数女性对患乳腺癌的危险估计过高主要是由于受人们经常谈及乳腺癌的影响。但她也警告说，13%只是一个平均值，任何女性的患病危险都可能高于或者低于这个数值，具体情况要看其家庭历史和一些其它的因素。她还同时表示，她和小组成员在男性关于自身患前列腺癌的危险这一问题上，也有类似的发现。
关键字:双语阅读
生词表:
In the study, a group of 175 women estimated that the chance of developing breast cancer was, on average, 46 percent -- much higher than the actual average risk of 13 percent.
Previous research has shown that women who speak to a counselor about their risk of breast cancer tend to become less motivated to schedule regular mammograms -- perhaps because, during counseling, they learn the actual risk of breast cancer is much lower than they expected.
Clinicians are thus faced with a "dilemma," the authors write in the journal Patient Education and Counseling: should they be honest with women about the odds of breast cancer, and risk that this information makes them lackadaisical about screening?
A woman's risk of breast cancer "is not as high as you think it is, but that doesn't mean the risk is zero," study author Dr. Angela Fagerlin of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor told Reuters Health. "You definitely need to have your screening every year," she added.
During the study, Fagerlin and her team asked 175 out of 356 women to estimate the average risk of breast cancer, then told all the women that the actual risk was 13 percent.
Only 7 percent of women asked to estimate their risk came close to the actual number. Among the women not asked to estimate their risk, on the other hand, 37 percent said they thought 13 percent was close to "what they expected."
In an interview, Fagerlin noted that people likely don't "carry a number in their head of their risk of breast cancer." Women asked to pinpoint their risk likely are influenced by the fact that people often talk about breast cancer, making it seem more common than it is, she said.
In contrast, if they are told outright that it's 13 percent, that sounds okay. "Everything makes sense after you've heard about it," Fagerlin noted.
Fagerlin cautioned that the risk of 13 percent is an "average," and each woman might have a higher or lower risk depending on family history and other factors. A woman's individual risk "is something only (she and her) doctor can determine," Fagerlin said.
She added that she and her team have found similar findings in men about their risk of prostate cancer.
多数女性对患乳腺癌的危险估计过高
一份最新的研究结果显示，几乎有十分之九的女性会对自己一生中患上乳腺癌的危险估计过高。在研究过程中，175名妇女的平均估计值为46%，而这远远高于实际的平均患此病的危险--13%。
据路透社6月13日报道，以前曾有研究显示，那些向顾问咨询过其患此病危险的妇女，就趋向于不那么积极地进行定期乳房X射线检查了。或许这是因为在咨询过程中，她们得知实际的患病危险比她们预想的要低很多。
鉴于上述情况，临床医生也面临着一个"进退两难的局面"，他们应该对妇女们提出的关于患乳腺癌几率的问题给予如实解答吗？这一信息可能会让她们产生懈怠，从而不愿意进行定期检查了。
该研究项目负责人、美国密歇根大学的安吉拉·法格林表示，妇女患上乳腺癌的危险并不像人们想象的那么高，但这并不意味着危险就等于零了。她还同时表示，女性每年都应该进行定期的X射线检查。
在研究过程中，法格林和她的研究小组让356名妇女中的175人估计了女性患乳腺癌的平均比率，然后又告知所有的人，正确答案应该是13%。其中只有7%妇女的估计数值和实际情况接近。另外，在那些没有被问到的妇女中，有37%的人表示，她们认为13%这个数值和她们预想的相接近。
法格林表示，多数女性对患乳腺癌的危险估计过高主要是由于受人们经常谈及乳腺癌的影响。但她也警告说，13%只是一个平均值，任何女性的患病危险都可能高于或者低于这个数值，具体情况要看其家庭历史和一些其它的因素。她还同时表示，她和小组成员在男性关于自身患前列腺癌的危险这一问题上，也有类似的发现。
关键字:双语阅读
生词表:
- counselor [´kaunsələ]
n.顾问；参赞；律师 四级词汇
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