Professor Claire Foster has received nearly £150,000 from research charity Breast Cancer Now to develop a web-based ‘decision aid’ that will help younger women with breast cancer decide on whether or not to undergo genetic testing.

Women diagnosed with breast cancer under the age of 40 are more likely to have inherited mutations in genes such as BRCA1, putting them at significantly increased risk of developing future cancers or having their cancer come back after treatment.

At present in the UK, genetic testing for women with breast cancer usually occurs following treatment, but genetic testing at diagnosis is now becoming more common, with 5-10 per cent of all breast cancers resulting from BRCA1/2 mutations. However, facing the decision at diagnosis of whether to undergo genetic testing – a decision that could have a long-term impact – can add extra pressure at an already difficult time.

Claire is leading a two-year project to find the best ways of providing young women with the information they need about the risks and benefits of genetic testing and enabling them to make an informed decision.

“I am delighted that Breast Cancer Now has funded this really important study,” says Claire, who is Professor of Psychosocial Oncology and Director of the Macmillan Survivorship Research Group. “Having a diagnosis of breast cancer, especially at a young age, can be extremely hard to deal with. Add to this the option to have a genetic test at the time of diagnosis and it can be really hard to decide what to do.”