Recruitment of a candidate with haemophilia B as a special constable in the metropolitan police service.

Individuals with haemophilia are usually excluded from patrolling police roles as these often necessitate confrontation. We describe an individual with moderate to severe haemophilia B who has been recruited by the Metropolitan Police Service as a Special Constable with the support of his haematologist.

Recruitment of renal transplant patients into patrolling police roles using orthotic shields.

Renal allografts are transplanted to an anatomically unnatural site where they are exposed to trauma, and may fail if damaged. Individuals with renal allografts have been excluded from patrolling police roles as these often necessitate confrontation. We describe two patients with renal allografts who have been recruited by the Metropolitan Police Service, using bespoke orthotic shields to protect the grafts.

Tailoring genetic information and services to clients' culture, knowledge and language level.

This article discusses approaches to dealing with transcultural care. Patient treatment can be improved by considering various cultural differences, establishing empathy, and focused listening. Scenarios, points for reflection and suggestions for non-judgemental language are provided.

Does the occurrence of certain rare cancers indicate an inherited cancer susceptibility?

We sought to determine whether rare cancers indicate an increased risk of inherited cancer susceptibility. We ascertained 77 individuals with rare cancers which occur with increased relative risk in carriers of germline BRCA1/BRCA2 (fallopian, young-onset pancreatic) or HNPCC (biliary, small intestinal, urothelial, gallbladder, young-onset pancreatic) mutations. Individuals with two primary neoplasms (7), or with a first- or two second-degree relatives with breast/ovarian cancer were tested for BRCA1/BRCA2 mutations (18); those with two primary HNPCC cancers or one first degree relative with an HNPCC-related cancer were tested for mutations in MLH1/MSH2 (19). Of these 77 individuals with cancer (19 fallopian, 8 gallbladder, 17 biliary, 17 pancreatic, 11 urothelial, 5 small intestinal), 39 (50.6%) had at least one first degree relative with cancer (excluding lung and skin); two conformed to Bethesda HNPCC criteria. No definitely pathogenic germline MLH1 and MSH2 mutations were found in 19 individuals, although 2 MSH2 variants were detected. A family history of breast/ovarian, HNPCC or colon cancer in a first degree relative was found in 40% of fallopian, 20% of biliary, 35% of pancreatic, 27% of urothelial and 20% of small bowel cancer patients. A BRCA1 frameshift mutation was detected in a woman with fallopian (54 y) and breast (39 y) cancers, and a BRCA2 nonsense mutation in a woman with biliary (48 y) and breast (45 y) cancers. This study supports the premise that the occurrence of rare (especially double primary) cancers does indicate an increased cancer susceptibility, although the numbers of cases ascertained were too small to draw firm conclusions.

No news is (not necessarily) good news: impact of preliminary results for BRCA1 mutation searches.

PURPOSE: Many women who have had breast or ovarian cancer who are undergoing tests for the presence of germline mutations in the genes will receive a result that is inconclusive. As this continuing uncertainty may have a detrimental effect on their psychological well-being and it is possible that such results will be misinterpreted as indicating that no mutation is present, studying their effect is important. METHODS: Sixty-one women undergoing such tests completed questionnaires 2 weeks after their blood was taken and at 1 week and 6 months after receiving a preliminary "inconclusive" result, i.e., indicating that two thirds of the gene had been tested and no mutation had been found so far. RESULTS: Perceived likelihood of having a mutation and perceptions of cancer risk significantly decreased after receipt of the interim result. There were no changes in levels of psychological distress and worry about cancer, in intentions to have mammograms, to carry out breast self-examination, or to have prophylactic surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The continuing uncertainty does not seem to have increased distress; however, it is possible that the inconclusive result is being interpreted as a "good news" result, in view of the fact that perceptions of risk decrease after receipt of the result.