Communicating hereditary breast cancer risk well is not easy. A Japanese survey of patients and professionals finds that both view evidence-based online videos favourably as an adjunct to the consultation, while cautioning that the samples were self-selected and do not represent the whole population.
What was already known
Evidence-based online videos could reinforce hereditary breast cancer communication, but there was little data on their perceived usefulness in Japan. It was also unclear how patients obtain information, how much they believe they understand about genetics and with whom they intend to share it within the family.
What this work adds
This is a cross-sectional online survey. It asked women in a Japanese peer-support community for patients with breast, cervical or ovarian cancer (January and February 2024) and healthcare providers recruited at a national breast cancer meeting (June and July 2023). Items covered information sources, perceived understanding of breast cancer genetics, shared decision-making, intention to communicate within the family, preferred educational formats and willingness to use evidence-based online videos.
Main results
Among 375 patient respondents, 88.7% (251 of 283) felt they understood breast cancer genetics, while 28.1% (64 of 228) reported difficulty understanding some aspects. Physicians and healthcare institutions were the most trusted information source, although internet use was common. Among those answering the decision-making item, 51.8% (118 of 228) said they could make their own treatment decisions and 30.7% (70 of 228) could do so to some extent. Most intended to share the genetic information with adult relatives (72.5%, 272 of 375) and, where applicable, with adolescent relatives (65.5%, 74 of 113). Among providers, only 20.0% (6 of 30) felt able to convey all necessary information in the consultation, while 86.7% (26 of 30) expressed interest in using online videos.
What it means
Patients and providers support evidence-based videos as an adjunct to hereditary cancer communication. Providers value clarity, scientific backing and text-and-illustration materials. The authors note that respondents were already familiar with digital health information or educational resources, so the findings should not be generalised, and call for prospective studies with validated measures.
Reading from a breast unit
It reinforces the value of clear, evidence-based audiovisual aids in genetic counselling, which can complement the consultation without replacing it.
Reference: Iesato A, Suzuki H, Tahara R, Terada M, Nakazawa Y, Iwase M, et al. Perceived usefulness of online videos for hereditary breast cancer communication in Japan: Patient and provider perspectives. Public health in practice (Oxford, England), 2026. DOI: 10.1016/j.puhip.2026.100845
