Family history screening misses people at high risk of cancer

UCL research into the BRCA gene mutation in the the Jewish population show that only assessing family history misses half of the people with the mutation. Women carrying a BRCA 1 or 2 gene mutation have approximately a 15%-45% chance of getting ovarian cancer and a 45-65% chance of getting breast cancer. Women who know they are carriers can better manage their risk of developing cancer by enhanced screening or risk-reducing surgery. Researchers running the Genetic Cancer Prediction through Population Screening (GCaPPS) study at UCL were funded by The Eve Appeal, the UK's only dedicated gynaecological cancer research charity. The researchers assessed the difference between family history-based testing and population screening in the Ashkenazi Jewish community, which is known to have a significantly higher number of people carrying the BRCA gene mutations than the non-Jewish population. The researchers also carried out a cost-effectiveness analysis, and a study of the impact of testing on psychological health and quality of life. The results from both papers are published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.