When Bad Genes Ruin a Perfectly Good Outlook: Psychological Implications of Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer via Narrative Inquiry Methodology

Scientists debunked the belief that breast cancer is always viral with the mid-90s discovery of the first hereditary genetic mutation linked to a significantly higher-than average chance of breast and ovarian cancer. This genetic condition, called Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer (HBOC), passes the mutation from generation to generation in a family. Thousands of variations of such mutations exist, and carriers account for 10 to 15% of all breast cancer, and up to 20% of ovarian (Childers et al., 2017). In addition, genetic testing uncovered a rapidly rising number of healthy people (never had breast/ovarian cancer) who are also carriers, flooding healthcare providers seeking potential options to reduce their elevated risk. Those prophylactic measures are invasive, permanent and can cause physical—and emotional—scarring. As a newer medical phenomenon, few, if any, studies address the potential psychological implications, which include fear, anxiety, guilt, family tension, and more. Using narrative inquiry methodology, this study analyzes the authentic lived or felt experiences of individuals when they learn that they have inherited a mutation that significantly increases their risk of breast, ovarian and related cancers, and their choices that directly affect their effort to outrun a cancer that may never come. This dissertation is accompanied by the author’s MP4 video introduction and is available in open access at AURA: Antioch University Repository and Archive, http://aura.antioch.edu/ and Ohiolink ETD Center, https://etd.ohiolink.edu