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Significant proportion of parents support genetic testing of minors, in some instances
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Although parents’ opinions regarding genetic testing of minors for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations are divided, a significant proportion supported genetic testing of minors in some or all cases, and would consider testing their own children before adulthood.
In the study, researchers conducted interviews with 246 parents who underwent BRCA1 and -2 testing and assessed their opinions in regards to BRCA1 and -2 testing in minors.
Fifty-five percent of parents did not support the testing of minors; 37% reported support of testing minors; and 8% were unsure. Forty-seven percent reported support of testing of minors in some or all circumstances; 44% reported hypothetical interest in testing their own children; and 55% would consider testing their children in some (18%) or all circumstances (37%).
Some of the most common reasons for parental opposition of testing in minors were: the potential for test results to bring about fear, anxiety or burden among minors, and minors are not sufficiently mature enough to cope with the information provided.
Conversely, some of the most common reasons for parent support of testing were: results may bring about healthy behavior in children; genetic testing is useful and could inform childbearing decisions of minors; there is no harm in providing testing during childhood; and it is the minor’s right to this type of information.
An independent association was found with the support of testing in minors and parent male sex (P=.03), parent negative test result (P=.02) and minority race (P=.01). Moreover, a parent negative test result (P=.01), less than a college education (P<.01), and older mean age of offspring (P=.05) were associated with interest in testing their own children.
“While our study suggests that there is support for testing minors, exploratory analyses suggest that opinions vary by specific test result, with lowest support among BRCA1 and -2 mutation carriers,” the researchers wrote. “These differences suggest that how parents perceive and weigh the risks and benefits of permitting testing of minors may be affected by their perceptions of their own BRCA1 and -2 test result and the age of their offspring.”
Bradbury AR. J Clin Oncol. 2010; doi: 10.1200/JCO.2009.27.2971.
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