Genetics Counseling for Ovarian Cancer Risk
From www.beetmedicine.tv One in 10-12 women with ovarian cancer has a hereditary cause of the ovarian cancer. Carefully collected three-generation pedigrees can help to determine which women should pursue genetic testing for hereditary causes of ovarian cancer, says Dr. Mary S. Beattie in this interview. BRCA1 and BRCA2 are genes that increase the risk of hereditary ovarian cancer, as well as hereditary breast cancer. Testing for deleterious mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes can predict cancer risk, and can now possibly be used to guide treatment and entry into clinical trials. In addition to impacting the individual who receives genetic testing, other family members could be affected and possibly offered genetic testing as well. Interviewee: Mary S. Beattie, MD, MAS, Associate Professor of Medicine, Epidemiology, and Biostatistics Director of Clinical Research, UCSF Cancer Risk Program, UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center