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Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancers
Do you have an elevated risk?
Know Your Risk
Personal Cancer Risk Assessment
If you answer yes to any of the above, then your personal or family history may indicate an elevated risk for breast or ovarian cancer. Make an appointment today to complete your personal cancer risk assessment with a licensed genetic counselor. Call us at 302-623-4593, option 1, or toll-free at 1-800-811-8116. Your doctor may recommend genetic consultation to further assess your family history and determine if genetic testing is an option for you or your family. Your ChristianaCare genetic counselor will help you consider treatment and lifestyle options to reduce your risks or diagnostic options to help you detect cancer at its earliest, most treatable stage.
Cancer Causes
Hereditary breast and ovarian cancers are most commonly caused by changes in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. For women who carry a mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene, the risk of breast cancer rises to somewhere between 58 – 87 percent and the risk of ovarian cancer is between 16 and 60 percent. For men with these alterations, the risk to develop breast cancer and prostate cancer is also increased. In addition, all individuals with alterations in the BRCA2 gene may have an increased risk for melanoma and pancreatic cancer.
Recent advances have also identified other genes that cause an increased risk for breast and ovarian cancer. Additional testing (beyond BRCA1 and BRCA2) is available for these genes. Scientists are identifying other genes that may be associated with increased risk for cancer. Ask your genetic counselor today if you should be tested for genes associated with breast and ovarian cancers.
Manage Your Risk
Testing positive for a hereditary gene does not mean you will definitely develop breast cancer, but it does indicate that you are at higher risk and should work with your doctor to decide how best to manage that increased risk.
If your test results show you are at high-risk, ChristianaCare’s High-Risk Breast and Ovarian Cancer Surveillance Program can help.
Knowing your personal risk based on your family health history may help you and your doctor prevent cancer or detect it early when it is most treatable.
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Contact Us
Make an appointment today to complete your personal cancer risk assessment with a licensed genetic counselor, and to learn more about how you can be part of Delaware’s high-risk family cancer registry. Call 302-623-4593, option 1, or toll-free at 1-800-811-8116.
