What is the genetic testing for breast cancer?
It is a blood test that uses DNA analysis to identify changes in either one of two breast cancer susceptibility genes, known as BRCA1 or BRCA2. Having a BRCA gene mutation is rare, occurring in about 1-in-1,000 people. Inherited BRCA gene mutations are responsible for 5 to 10 percent of breast cancers and about 10 to 15 percent of ovarian cancers. Who should get tested? Men and women in families with a history of multiple cases of breast cancer, cases of both breast and ovarian cancer; one or more family members with two primary cancers at different sites; an Eastern European Jewish background. What does a positive BRCA1 or BRCA2 test result mean? A positive test result indicates that a person has inherited a known mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2 and has an increased risk of developing certain cancers. However, a positive result provides information only about a person’s risk of developing cancer. It cannot tell whether cancer will actually develop, or when. Unlike most other medical tests,
