Association between documented family history of cancer and screening for breast and colorectal cancer

•No recorded family cancer history is associated with getting no cancer screening.•Women with a family history of breast cancer are more likely to be screened.•Patients with a family history of colorectal cancer are more likely to be screened.

BackgroundPrevious research on ascertainment of cancer family history and cancer screening has been conducted in urban settings.PurposeTo examine whether documented family history of breast or colorectal cancer is associated with breast or colorectal cancer screening.MethodsMedical record reviews were conducted on 3433 patients aged 55 and older from four primary care practices in two rural Oregon communities. Data collected included patient demographic and risk information, including any documentation of family history of breast or colorectal cancer, and receipt of screening for these cancers.ResultsA positive breast cancer family history was associated with an increased likelihood of being up-to-date for mammography screening (OR 2.09, 95% CI 1.45-3.00 relative to a recorded negative history). A positive family history for colorectal cancer was associated with an increased likelihood of being up-to-date with colorectal cancer screening according to U.S. Preventive Services Task Force low risk guidelines for males (OR 2.89, 95% CI 1.15-7.29) and females (OR 2.47, 95% CI 1.32-4.64) relative to a recorded negative family history. The absence of any recorded family cancer history was associated with a decreased likelihood of being up-to-date for mammography screening (OR 0.70, 95% CI 0.56-0.88 relative to recorded negative history) or for colorectal cancer screening (OR 0.75, 95% CI 0.60-0.96 in females, OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.53-0.88 in males relative to recorded negative history).ConclusionFurther research is needed to determine if establishing routines to document family history of cancer would improve appropriate use of cancer screening.