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Family history of cancer, particularly first-degree relatives, is a factor associated with increased cancer risk (e.g., Issacs, Kiemeney, Baffoe-Bonnie, Beaty, & Walsh, 1995 xClose
Issacs, S.D., Kiemeney, L.A., Baffoe-Bonnie, A., Beaty, T.H., & Walsh, P.C. (1995). Risk of cancer in relatives of prostate cancer probands. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 87, 991-996.). Self-report is the primary method of assessing family history of cancer. It appears to provide valid information for first-degree relatives and common cancers (Aitken, Bain, Ward, Siskind, & MacLennan, 1995 xClose
Aitken, J., Bain, C., Ward, M., Siskind, V., & MacLennan, R. (1995). How accurate is self-reported family history of colorectal cancer? American Journal of Epidemiology, 141(9), 863-871.; Kerber & Slattery, 1997 xClose
Kerber, R.A., & Slattery, M.L. (1997). Comparison of self-reported and database-linked family history of cancer data in a case-control study. American Journal of Epidemiology, 146(3), 244-248.; Ziogas & Anton-Culver, 2003 xClose
Ziogas, A., & Anton-Culver, H. (2003). Validation of family history data in cancer family registries. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 24(2), 190-198.), and only slightly less accuracy for reports of second and third-degree relatives (Ziogas & Anton-Culver, 2003 xClose
Ziogas, A., & Anton-Culver, H. (2003). Validation of family history data in cancer family registries. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 24(2), 190-198.), and reproductive-tract cancers (Kerber & Slattery, 1997 xClose
Kerber, R.A., & Slattery, M.L. (1997). Comparison of self-reported and database-linked family history of cancer data in a case-control study. American Journal of Epidemiology, 146(3), 244-248.). In general, this issue needs more research, but caution should be exercised when obtaining reports concerning non-first-degree relatives and/or more unusual, stigmatized, or less salient conditions.
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