Genetic testing for melanoma has yet to enter routine clinical use because of the scarcity of available data on the effect of test reporting. A prospective study of 59 members of Utah CDKN2A/p16 mutation-positive pedigrees was conducted to establish the effect of CDKN2A/ p16 genetic test reporting on melanoma early detection intentions and behaviors (total body skin examination and skin self-examination) in a high-risk population. Behavioral assessments were made at baseline, immediately after CDKN2A/p16 test reporting and counseling, and at 1-month follow-up (42 participants). Baseline screening practices were poor relative to current recommendations, especially among participants without a personal history of melanoma. Changes from baseline practice were evaluated in three groups of participants (CDKN2A/p16 + with history of melanoma, CDKN2A/p16 + without melanoma history, and CDKN2A/p16 À ). Across multiple measures, test reporting caused CDKN2A/p16 mutation carriers without a melanoma history to improve to the level of adherence reported by participants with a melanoma history, without decreasing compliance of the CDKN2A/p16 À group. Compared with baseline, CDKN2A/p16 + participants without a melanoma history reported greater intention to obtain total body skin examinations (P < 0.0001), increased intentions and adherence to skin self-examination recommendations (P < 0.01 and P < 0.001, respectively), and increased number of body sites examined at 1 month (P < 0.002); further, 55% reported adopting a new screening behavior at follow-up. Test reporting also improved skin selfexamination adherence among CDKN2A/p16À participants (P < 0.03). The finding that CDKN2A/p16 test reporting enhances compliance with early detection measures among CDKN2A/p16 + participants without diminishing the compliance of CDKN2A/p16 À participants suggests a favorable risk-benefit ratio for melanoma genetic testing in high-risk patients. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2008;17(6):1510 -9)
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.