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Dr. Michael Kinney talks about genetic tests and Breast Cancer

Dr. Owen Winsett talks about genetic tests and Breast Cancer

Dr. Owen Winsett talks about preventive approach in medicine

Genetic factors play a contributing role in the majority of breast cancer cases.

If diagnosed early, most cases of breast cancer can be treated successfully.

Increase your breast cancer awareness with the deCODEme genetic risk test for breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women

In the United States, approximately one in twelve women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during her lifetime. Most women have a friend, a co-worker, or a close relative who has experienced breast cancer first-hand and not surprisingly, many women fear this disease the most.

Early diagnosis increases chances of successful treatment

The good news is, that if diagnosed early, breast cancer can be treated very successfully. Over 90% of women diagnosed in the earliest stages of breast cancer go on to lead normal, healthy lives after treatment. Early diagnosis of breast cancer and treatment are crucial in the management of breast cancer.

Genetic factors contribute to the risk of breast cancer

Genetic factors contribute significantly to the risk of developing breast cancer. You may have heard of the high risk genetic variants associated with breast cancer and ovarian cancer found in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Although much researched and widely known, these are very rare variants, present in only 2-5% of breast cancer patients.

Common genetic variants play a role in most breast cancer cases

There are several, more common, genetic variants that play a role in a much larger proportion, if not all breast cancer cases, but carry less risk than the BRCA1 and BRCA2 variants. There are sixteen common genetic variants known to increase the risk of developing breast cancer in women of European descent: two on chromosomes 2, 5, 10 and 11 and one on each of the following chromosomes: 1, 3, 6, 8, 9, 14, 16 and 17. (see scientific details).

Knowing your family history is not enough

While each of the common genetic variants on its own, is associated with only a small increase in breast cancer risk, if a woman inherits many, or all of these variants, the combined risk can be high (up to an almost fourfold risk compared to the general population). Tracing combinations of these common breast cancer risk variants through family history may however be difficult.

Herein lies the informative value of the deCODEme genetic scan; Empowered by the knowledge of your genetic risk of breast cancer, you may become better prepared to select, along with your doctor, the many preventive actions and lifestyle choices now known to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer.

deCODEme calculates your genetic risk for breast cancer

The deCODEme Complete Scan identifies the variants listed above and uses them to provide customers of European descent with a personalized interpretation of their genetic risk for developing breast cancer. For women of East-Asian descent the deCODEme Genetic Scan currently includes risk information for five of the variants listed above, including the ESR1 gene variant. For African American women the deCODEme Genetic Scan currently includes risk information for one of the variants listed above.

Please note that the deCODEme genetic scan does not test for the rare BRCA1 or BRCA2 variants. If you have close relatives with early onset breast cancer or ovarian cancer, the possibility of a BRCA mutation should be discussed with your doctor.

What is breast cancer?

Breast cancer is an uncontrolled growth of breast cells

Breast cancer, like other cancers, is cell growth gone haywire. Breast cancer can be defined as a malignant tumor that starts from breast cells and usually begins either in the cells of the breast lobules, which are the milk-producing glands, or the ducts, the passages through which milk flows from the lobules to the nipple. The different types of cells in these tissues give rise to different types of breast cancer, depending on where in the breast the cancer originates.

If untreated, breast cancer can spread to other parts of the body

Over time, and if untreated, breast cancer cells may invade the surrounding healthy breast tissue and reach the nearby underarm lymph nodes that connect with the body´s entire lymphatic system. If breast cancer cells make their way to the lymph nodes, or invade blood vessels, they soon find their way to other parts of the body and can cause cancer growth there, for example in the bones or liver. This is a serious cancer development known as metastasis.

Stages of breast cancer

There are different stages of breast cancer, defined according to various characteristics, such as the size of the tumor, whether the breast cancer cells are found within the initial tumor only (non-invasive breast cancer), or have started invading other tissues (invasive breast cancer). Furthermore, whether lymph nodes are involved and how far the cancer has spread beyond the breast. The earlier breast cancer is diagnosed, the more likely it can be treated successfully.

Treatment options for breast cancer

Treatment options for breast cancer depend on various factors including:

• The type of breast cancer
• The stage of breast cancer
• Hormonal factors
• How fast the breast cancer tumor is growing
• Age at diagnosis, general health, and menopausal status (whether a woman is still having menstrual periods)
• Whether the breast cancer is new (first diagnosis) or whether it is a recurring breast cancer

Men can get breast cancer too

Men can also develop breast cancer, however cases of male breast cancer are very rare. The deCODEme genetic test for breast cancer calculates genetic risk for female breast cancer only.

This content was last reviewed on March 31, 2011.

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