THE CANCER GENETIC COUNSELING BLOG PROVIDES THE LATEST GENETIC COUNSELING AND TESTING INFORMATION SO PEOPLE AT INCREASED RISK FOR HEREDITARY CANCER CAN MAKE INFORMED MEDICAL DECISIONS. THESE INTERVENTIONS CAN HAVE A HUGE IMPACT ON A PERSON'S LIFE BY ALLOWING THEM TO TAILOR THEIR HEALTH CARE AND REDUCE THEIR RISK OF DEVELOPING CANCER. THE BLOG DOES NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE OPINIONS OF YALE CANCER CENTER LEADERSHIP OR FACULTY, BUT IS WRITTEN BY AN INDIVIDUAL.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Do all female BRCA mutation carriers have the same risk, or is more accurate to consider a risk range?
Most families with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer have a mutation in the BRCA1 (breast cancer-1) or BRCA2 (breast cancer-2) genes. As you know, genetic testing for mutations in these genes has only become clinically available within the past 15 years. For this reason we do not have a great deal of long-term prospective data on individuals who carry mutations in these genes and it is most accurate to present mutation carriers with a range of cancer risks To read more about this New York Times article please click on the above light blue link.