Adherence to Intensive Surveillance for Hereditary Breast Cancer

Women with strong family histories of breast cancer are at increased risk to have breast cancer. Women whose close relatives have had breast cancer often have more breast cancer screening than other women their age. To increase the chance that any breast cancer will be caught early, women at risk often take part in special screening programs. These programs involve more frequent visits to the doctor for breast exams, yearly mammography, and new types of exam like breast Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Studies are going on to find out whether these programs are better than standard screening. The purpose of this study is to find out how these programs impact women's quality of life. The study will also try to learn what factors make it hard to take part in the programs. We hope to be able to design new programs that are easier to follow.