A young woman in a suspected breast cancer family takes the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene

Question

A young woman in a suspected breast cancer family takes the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic tests. As a genetics counselor, you are asked to meet with her. Prior to receiving the results she want to meet with you to see if you can give her more information as to what are the different cancer types she is at higher risk for if in fact she test positive for a BRCA-1 or BRCA-2 mutation. A week later she receives her results and they are negative (she does not test positive for the mutant alleles of BRCA1 or BRCA2). She asks you whether this means that she is free of risk for breast cancer or other related cancers.

What information would you need to give her the best advice possible? Explain your answer.

Explanation / Answer

mutation in BRCA-1 or BRCA-2 increases the risk of breast cancer 5 times that of normal people. Mutation in these genes causes breast or ovarian cancer. If there is no mutation in these genes, then she would be oatrisk as any other healthy individual. it does not guarantee that she would not suffer from cancer in her life time. Even though she is tested negative, every women should self inspect for lumps in the breast evry now and then.

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