Dealing with the uncertainty of developing a cancer

Based on a personal experience in a genetic counselling consultation, this article proposes a personal reflection about the different ways in which individuals from high-risk families are living and dealing with the uncertainty of one day developing a cancer. The psychological reactions of the individuals concerned are described before exploring actual issues of genetic testing–such as the reasons for testing–but also technical and familial limits. This paper also presents the limits existing in follow-up and prevention for the carriers of susceptibility genes and insists on the importance of counselling before genetic testing and the necessity of further multidisciplinary research in this field. The original text was presented in French during the Eleventh MASCC International Symposium on Supportive Care in Cancer, at Nice, in February 1999.