Genetic Screening Could Improve Breast Cancer Prevention
New research will help doctors know which women are at more risk of developing breast cancer.
A new study could help doctors work out which women are more at risk of developing breast cancer.
Researchers have been looking into a test based on genetic screening.
The study, deemed as being the most definitive of its type conducted so far, was funded by a range of organisations including Cancer Research UK and Breakthrough Breast Cancer, and was published today in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
It's the most common type of cancer in the UK with tens of thousands diagnosed each year.
Pam Trays from Hull was diagnosed with breast cancer back in 2010 and her sister and auntie also suffered from the disease.
She welcomes any new testing to help prevent more women developing breast cancer. She told Viking FM:
"Early diagnosis is key and it's a case of knowing your body, knowing the signs and symptoms to look out for and getting them checked out and not ignoring them because early diagnosis means simpler and more effective treatment."
Susan Reeson from Welton was diagnosed in 2012 and told us:
"I found the tiniest, tiniest lump so I went to my doctor and I was referred for a mammogram and nothing showed up so then I had a biopsy and it showed very early stage breast cancer. It is a journey, it's a very long journey but you must listen to your own body and if things don't feel right then go and see your GP.
"Prevention in the first place is what we are looking for in all cancers but genetic testing would be great for women and breast cancer. A lot of people are affected by the disease, my cousin sadly passed away with breast cancer a few years ago and she was only in her 40s. If you know that you have got a history of breast cancer then I think early screening is the way forward."
Study co-leader Professor Montserrat Garcia-Closas, Professor of Epidemiology at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, said:
"Our study is the most definitive so far to show the clear benefits of using genetic testing for a large number of genetic risk factors in identifying women at elevated risk of developing breast cancer. This type of testing could fit alongside other standard risk measures, such as family history and body mass index, to improve our ability to target the best preventive treatments and advice to those women most likely to benefit from them.
"It's now important to work out how this sort of test could be used widely in a healthcare, rather than in a research setting. Currently available tests can analyse a handful of high-risk genes, but outside of looking for changes to these genes in women with a history of breast cancer in their close family, genetic testing is not widely offered to women."