The investigators found that about eight out of ten women (81 percent) who viewed preventive mastectomy as the best way to reduce cancer risk decided to undergo the procedure. A similar number of those who felt that preventive mastectomy was the only way to reduce worry underwent the procedure (84.2 percent).

The survey also revealed that none of the women who tested positive for a BRCA mutation and 5.4 percent of BRCA negative women felt that mammograms were difficult to get because the procedure was too uncomfortable.

The researchers concluded that women's opinions regarding preventive mastectomy and their ultimate choice to undergo the procedure were highly dependent upon their BRCA genetic testing results. "Health care providers and genetic counselors must take this into account when assessing a woman's needs at the time of genetic testing and results disclosure," the authors wrote.

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