(Courtesy photo) The myRisk Hereditary Cancer test is a multi-gene panel that analyzes 25 genes associated with eight major cancers, including gastric, pancreatic, prostate, colorectal (for colon and rectal cancers), endometrial, melanoma, ovarian and breast. It was developed by Myriad Genetics Inc. in Salt Lake City.

Health Analysis of 25 genes is more extensive than older tests but costs same.

Myriad Genetics Inc., has launched Thursday an all-in-one cancer test that is more extensive but costs the same as older tests.

The myRisk Hereditary Cancer test analyzes 25 genes associated with eight major cancers, including breast, gastric, pancreatic, prostate, colorectal (for colon and rectal cancers), endometrial, melanoma and ovarian. Before, Myriad had five cancer tests that analyzed a total of 11 genes.

"The tests have gone through extensive validation to assure there is a 100 percent accuracy of the test result," said Mark Capone, president of Myriad Genetics, which is headquartered at the University of Utahs Research Park in Salt Lake City. "If you get a positive test result and there is a mutation. . .there is a very high risk you could end up with one of these eight cancers."

Capone said that if a patient tests positive for a mutant form of one of the 25 genes, it could mean the person has a 20 to 87 percent increased chance of getting the cancer associated with that gene.

"Any one of these genes would significantly increase your risk for at least one of the eight cancers," he said. "So you would definitely want to immediately take some additional medical management as a result of that."

The myRisk Hereditary Cancer test will replace Myriads five older cancer panels or tests. One of those older tests was the BracAnalysis, a Myriad panel that analyzed a patient for a mutant form of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, the same test that actress Angelina Jolie took to find out if she was at high risk for breast cancer. When the results were positive for the mutant gene, Jolie underwent a double mastectomy as a preventative measure.

The listed price for the myRisk Hereditary Cancer test is about $4,000, the same cost of one of the older tests. "The price for the 25-gene panel is the same as the price for the two-gene BracAnalysis product, so we have kept the price the same but significantly increased the amount of information," Capone said.

He added, however, that most out-of-pocket expenses for the test through insurance would be less than $100. More than 97 percent of insurance companies cover the test, he said.

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Myriad Genetics launches improved test for breast, other cancers

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