A Woman Whose Sister Tested Positive for a Specific Mutation

question 6

Multiple Choice

A woman whose sister tested positive for a specific mutation in the BRCA1 gene, which increases the risk for breast and ovarian cancer, is found not to have that mutation but does have a mutation of unknown significance near the known mutation site. How should this woman be counseled?

• A)She should be informed that her risk for breast cancer is greater than that of the general population but not as great as her sister's risk.
• B)She should be informed that because she does not have the mutation, her risk for breast cancer is not greater than that of the general population.
• C)She should be informed that she does not have the specific mutation but that because another mutation is present, she should be vigilant about screening.
• D)She should be informed of her gene-mutation status and be presented with all the available prophylaxis options and reconstruction options.

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Definitions:

Critical Value

A point on the scale of the test statistic beyond which we reject the null hypothesis; it defines the boundary for the region of rejection.

Power

The probability that a statistical test will correctly reject a false null hypothesis, effectively detecting an actual effect.

Type II Error

The mistake of failing to reject a false null hypothesis, also known as a "false negative" finding.

Dependent-Samples T-Test

A statistical test used to compare the means of two related groups, indicating if any difference between them is statistically significant.