Hundreds of women with breast cancer should be tested for an aggressive form of the disease resulting from a genetic fault, according to new research.

Women with mutations in the BRCA1 gene have a much higher chance of developing breast cancer but also a higher risk of ovarian cancer.

These patients have up to a 65% chance of developing breast cancer by the time they are 70 and a 40% chance of ovarian cancer.

Researchers are now arguing that all women under 50 who are diagnosed with triple-negative (TN) breast cancer should also be offered testing for faults in the BRCA1 gene.

This could identify hundreds of extra women every year who may benefit from tailored therapy for BRCA1 breast cancer, such as platinum-based chemotherapy.

Clinical trials on radiotherapy have also suggested a certain type of radiotherapy could benefit women with BRCA1 mutations more than others.

Women would also be able to tell their families if they have the BRCA1 gene, meaning close relatives could be tested for the hereditary gene.

The research, published in the British Journal of Cancer, looked at more than 300 women with TN breast cancer. Almost one in five diagnosed under the age of 50 were found to have the BRCA1 mutation. This fault means breast cancer is more likely to develop at a younger age.

Current guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) recommends BRCA1 testing is offered if the likelihood of detecting a mutation is greater than 20%.

However, based on their findings, researchers from the Institute of Cancer Research estimate more than one in three women with TN breast cancer caused by BRCA1 mutations would not have been tested using the current criteria.

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Study backs breast cancer gene test

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