Effects of Risk Presentation Format and Frequently Asked Questions on Breast Cancer Risk Skepticism

August 26, 2026 updated by: University of Colorado, Denver
The purpose of this study is to find out whether the way a breast cancer risk estimate is presented affects how women feel about their risk and whether they believe the estimate is accurate for them. Women aged 39-74 will complete an online survey in which they receive a personalized breast cancer risk estimate using the Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool (BCRAT). The study includes two experiments. In the first experiment, women are randomly assigned to receive their estimate in different formats: some will see their risk over 5 years, 10 years, or a lifetime, and some will see their risk expressed out of 100 women or out of 1,000 women. In the second experiment, women receive their estimate and then have the opportunity to read answers to frequently asked questions about how breast cancer risk is calculated and what the estimate means. In both experiments, women are asked whether they believe the estimate reflects their true risk. Both experiments are conducted online through a national survey panel.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
3000

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Colorado
      • Aurora, Colorado, United States, 80045
        • University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Laura D Scherer, PhD

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Female sex
  2. Age 39-74 (i.e., people who are eligible for routine breast cancer screening and for whom guidelines recommend an informed, risk-based decision)
  3. English literacy

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Prior diagnosis of

  1. breast cancer
  2. Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)
  3. Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS)
  4. Known BRCA1/2 gene mutation
  5. Cowan syndrome
  6. Li-Fraumeni syndrome
  7. Having received previous chest radiation for treatment of Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Factorial Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: 5 Year Risk AND N-in-100 Presentation
Behavioral: Risk Presentation Format
Participants receive a personalized breast cancer risk estimate generated by the Gail Model. The format of the estimate varies by random assignment across two dimensions: temporal framing (5-year, 10-year, or lifetime risk) and denominator (risk expressed out of 100 women or out of 1,000 women). All other elements of the risk presentation are held constant across conditions.
Behavioral: Frequently Asked Questions Exposure
Participants receive a personalized breast cancer risk estimate generated by the Gail Model and then view an interactive FAQ document. The FAQ document was developed from qualitative interviews with women who had previously rejected their risk estimates and addresses common questions about how breast cancer risk is calculated, what factors the model does and does not include, what different risk levels mean, and how to discuss results with a physician. FAQ items are displayed as expandable questions; participants click to reveal answers. All participants receive the same FAQ document.
Experimental: 10 Year Risk AND N-in-100 Presentation
Behavioral: Risk Presentation Format
Participants receive a personalized breast cancer risk estimate generated by the Gail Model. The format of the estimate varies by random assignment across two dimensions: temporal framing (5-year, 10-year, or lifetime risk) and denominator (risk expressed out of 100 women or out of 1,000 women). All other elements of the risk presentation are held constant across conditions.
Behavioral: Frequently Asked Questions Exposure
Participants receive a personalized breast cancer risk estimate generated by the Gail Model and then view an interactive FAQ document. The FAQ document was developed from qualitative interviews with women who had previously rejected their risk estimates and addresses common questions about how breast cancer risk is calculated, what factors the model does and does not include, what different risk levels mean, and how to discuss results with a physician. FAQ items are displayed as expandable questions; participants click to reveal answers. All participants receive the same FAQ document.
Experimental: Lifetime Risk AND N-in-100 Presentation
Behavioral: Risk Presentation Format
Participants receive a personalized breast cancer risk estimate generated by the Gail Model. The format of the estimate varies by random assignment across two dimensions: temporal framing (5-year, 10-year, or lifetime risk) and denominator (risk expressed out of 100 women or out of 1,000 women). All other elements of the risk presentation are held constant across conditions.
Behavioral: Frequently Asked Questions Exposure
Participants receive a personalized breast cancer risk estimate generated by the Gail Model and then view an interactive FAQ document. The FAQ document was developed from qualitative interviews with women who had previously rejected their risk estimates and addresses common questions about how breast cancer risk is calculated, what factors the model does and does not include, what different risk levels mean, and how to discuss results with a physician. FAQ items are displayed as expandable questions; participants click to reveal answers. All participants receive the same FAQ document.
Experimental: 5 Year Risk AND N-in-1000 Presentation
Behavioral: Risk Presentation Format
Participants receive a personalized breast cancer risk estimate generated by the Gail Model. The format of the estimate varies by random assignment across two dimensions: temporal framing (5-year, 10-year, or lifetime risk) and denominator (risk expressed out of 100 women or out of 1,000 women). All other elements of the risk presentation are held constant across conditions.
Behavioral: Frequently Asked Questions Exposure
Participants receive a personalized breast cancer risk estimate generated by the Gail Model and then view an interactive FAQ document. The FAQ document was developed from qualitative interviews with women who had previously rejected their risk estimates and addresses common questions about how breast cancer risk is calculated, what factors the model does and does not include, what different risk levels mean, and how to discuss results with a physician. FAQ items are displayed as expandable questions; participants click to reveal answers. All participants receive the same FAQ document.
Experimental: 10 Year Risk AND N-in-1000 Presentation
Behavioral: Risk Presentation Format
Participants receive a personalized breast cancer risk estimate generated by the Gail Model. The format of the estimate varies by random assignment across two dimensions: temporal framing (5-year, 10-year, or lifetime risk) and denominator (risk expressed out of 100 women or out of 1,000 women). All other elements of the risk presentation are held constant across conditions.
Behavioral: Frequently Asked Questions Exposure
Participants receive a personalized breast cancer risk estimate generated by the Gail Model and then view an interactive FAQ document. The FAQ document was developed from qualitative interviews with women who had previously rejected their risk estimates and addresses common questions about how breast cancer risk is calculated, what factors the model does and does not include, what different risk levels mean, and how to discuss results with a physician. FAQ items are displayed as expandable questions; participants click to reveal answers. All participants receive the same FAQ document.
Experimental: Lifetime Risk AND N-in-1000 Presentation
Behavioral: Risk Presentation Format
Participants receive a personalized breast cancer risk estimate generated by the Gail Model. The format of the estimate varies by random assignment across two dimensions: temporal framing (5-year, 10-year, or lifetime risk) and denominator (risk expressed out of 100 women or out of 1,000 women). All other elements of the risk presentation are held constant across conditions.
Behavioral: Frequently Asked Questions Exposure
Participants receive a personalized breast cancer risk estimate generated by the Gail Model and then view an interactive FAQ document. The FAQ document was developed from qualitative interviews with women who had previously rejected their risk estimates and addresses common questions about how breast cancer risk is calculated, what factors the model does and does not include, what different risk levels mean, and how to discuss results with a physician. FAQ items are displayed as expandable questions; participants click to reveal answers. All participants receive the same FAQ document.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Risk Skepticism
Time Frame: Day 1
Participants' perception of their Gail model risk estimate is trichotomized into three categories: Underestimator (believed risk is lower than estimate), Agreer (believed risk equals estimate), and Overestimator (believed risk is higher than estimate).
Day 1
Risk Perception
Time Frame: Day 1
This measure includes two Likert scale questions assessing the perceived likelihood of developing cancer and the level of worry about getting cancer.
Day 1

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Colorado, Denver

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Laura D Scherer, PhD, University of Colorado, Denver

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
September 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
February 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
April 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
August 18, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 26, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
August 28, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
August 28, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 26, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
August 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 26-1163
  • R01CA279953 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

The protocol, code books, and data set associated with this study will be shared on the Open Science Framework after ensuring that it is completely anonymized.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

IPD and supporting information will be made available when the first manuscript is submitted to a journal for review.

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

Anyone will be able to access the IPD and supporting information by downloading it from OSF.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP
  • ANALYTIC_CODE

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings