What are the unmet support needs of women with a known BRCA1/2 mutation?

Background Women known to carry a BRCA1/2 mutation have to make complex decisions regarding the management of their increased cancer risk, such as whether or not to undergo risk-reducing surgery and how to communicate this risk information to family members. These women may face a unique set of supportive care needs, although unlike the situation for breast and other cancer patients, few supportive care services for mutation carriers exist outside the Familial Cancer Centres. The aim of this presentation is to describe the unmet support needs of women with a known BRCA 1/2 mutation volunteering for a randomised control trial (RCT) testing the effectiveness of a telephone based peer support program.