Researchers, practitioners, and users TOGETHER to study the psychosocial adjustment to genetic testing in the context of inherited cancer risk

Poster Presented at the International Conference on Person Centered Healthcare, from October 17th to 18th, 2019. Abstract Genetic testing (GT) allows the identification of germline mutations in families with higher risk of developing cancer. Identifying unaffected carriers of genetic mutations can lead to substantial reductions in cancer morbidity and mortality, through personalized preventive programs of surveillance and/or risk-reduction measures, such as prophylactic surgery. Evidence and clinical practice have consistently found a subgroup of GT applicants who experience difficulties adjusting to GT and to life with an increased genetic cancer risk. These applicants need additional psychosocial support but international guidelines for hereditary cancer care lack specific guidance on psychosocial care to GT applicants. In this poster we present TOGETHER, a research project that aims to study the process of psychosocial adjustment of unaffected individuals undergoing GT and their families, in order to inform an integrated family-centered care for inherited cancer syndromes. TOGETHER is funded by the COMPETE programs and the Portuguese Foundation of Science and Technology and is a co-joint project of the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences and IPO PORTO.This work was supported by the European COMPETE2020 under grant POCI-01-0145-FEDER-030980, Portuguese National funds FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P, under grant PTDC/PSI-ESP/30980/201