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Biomedical subjects

K M Tucker

Publications and source records attributed to K M Tucker.

17 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Psychological impact of genetic testing for adult-onset disorders. An update for clinicians.

Testing for gene mutations that confer susceptibility to adult-onset disorders has potential benefits, but these must be balanced against the psychological harms, if any. We review published findings on the psychological effects of such testing, focusing on Huntington's disease, which has the most available data, and the hereditary cancer syndromes. Most of the evidence suggests that non-carriers and carriers differ significantly in terms of short-term, but not long-term, psychological adjustment to test results. The psychological impact of genetic testing depends more on pretest psychological distress than the test result itself.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1976

The incidence of inflammatory papillary hyperplasia.

The incidence of inflammatory papillary hyperplasia was studied in 892 patients from the dental clinic at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Oklahoma City. The patients were selected if they wore dentures that completely covered the palate. A large number of patients with inflammatory papillary hyperplasia were those who left their dentures in their mouths continuously. Therefore, a high correlation was found between the incidence of inflammatory papillary hyperplasia and the amount of time the patient wore the dentures. Although it is not certain if inflammatory papillary hyperplasia is premalignant, the dentist should try to seek to prevent this abnormal condition by instructing patients to leave dentures out of their mouths for a six-to eight-hour period during each day.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Psychological impact of prophylactic oophorectomy in women at increased risk for ovarian cancer.

Women with a family history consistent with a hereditary breast/ovarian cancer syndrome are at significantly increased risk for ovarian cancer. Prophylactic oophorectomy is an option for high-risk women. This study explores the psychosexual impact of prophylactic oophorectomy. A qualitative methodology was selected as most appropriate as no previous research has examined this issue. In-depth interviews were conducted with fourteen women, between 4 months and 7 years after prophylactic oophorectomy. Of these, six were pre- and eight were postmenopausal at the time of oophorectomy. Even though individual differences were observed, a majority view was expressed on several issues. All but one participant reported being satisfied with their decision to undergo oophorectomy. Women emphasised that the procedure had decreased their anxiety about developing ovarian cancer. Postmenopausal women reported no negative impact on their libido. Amongst premenopausal women all but one commenced hormone replacement therapy (HRT) following surgery and, in these women, HRT appeared to mitigate the sexual impact of the procedure. Premenopausal women reported unmet information needs both before and after the procedure, including the effects of surgical menopause and the link between HRT and breast cancer. This exploratory study suggests that prophylactic oophorectomy is a psychologically acceptable risk reduction strategy in high-risk women.

Adult↗