Abstract: Objective: To understand the cancer risk communication among family members from the perspectives of probands and their relatives in the families with hereditary colorectal cancer or breast-ovarian cancer syndrome. Methods: This study was a qualitative phenomelological research. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted in 14 probands with hereditary colorectal cancer and 8 probands with hereditary breast-ovarian cancer and their 20 relatives from March 2021 to September 2021. Topic analysis method was used to analyze the interview data. Results: Cancer risk communication in hereditary cancer families included three themes: barriers to information exchange in family history; limited cancer risk communication and disease information was selectively communicated; factors associated with cancer risk communication. Conclusion: Poor communication on cancer risk in hereditary cancer families and lack of effective transmission of necessary information seriously influence the understanding of cancer risk among high-risk family members. The communication regarding cancer risk in these family members need to be improved. We can promote the early diagnosis and treatment of cancer in these high-risk families through effective communication.

Key words: hereditary cancer; cascade testing; cancer screening; cancer risk communication; qualitative study; family