LETTER TO JMG

Concerns of women presenting to a comprehensive cancer centre for genetic cancer risk assessment

D J MacDonald¹, J Choi¹, B Ferrell², S Sand¹, S McCaffrey¹, K R Blazer¹, M Grant², J N Weitzel¹

¹ Department of Clinical Cancer Genetics, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1500 E Duarte Road, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
² Department of Nursing Research and Education, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1500 E Duarte Road, Duarte, CA 91010, USA

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Ms D J MacDonald, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Clinical Cancer Genetics Department, 1500 E Duarte Road, Duarte, CA 91010-3000, USA;
dmacdonald@coh.org

Keywords: breast cancer; ovarian cancer; genetic cancer risk assessment

Abbreviations: GCRA, genetic cancer risk assessment; COH, City of Hope; CSPP, Cancer Screening & Prevention Program; FDR, first degree relative; SDR, second degree relative; OC, oral contraceptives

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

About 5-10% of breast and ovarian cancers are the result of an autosomal dominant inherited predisposition, with a significant portion resulting from a germline mutation in the highly penetrant BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes.¹ The risk for breast cancer in women who carry a BRCA mutation is estimated to be 33-50% by the age of 50 and 56-85% by the age of 70,^1–4 and the risk of a second breast cancer may be as high as 60% over a woman's lifetime. The risk of ovarian cancer ranges from about 10-50%. Women are increasingly presenting for genetic cancer risk assessment (GCRA) services, wherein genetic testing and empirical data may be used to predict breast and ovarian cancer risk. Risk management options ranging from close surveillance to chemoprevention to prophylactic surgery are discussed as part of the GCRA consultation. While there is clearly a potential to benefit carefully selected and counselled subjects and . . . [Full text of this article]

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Calzone, K. A., Prindiville, S. A., Jourkiv, O., Jenkins, J., DeCarvalho, M., Wallerstedt, D. B., Liewehr, D. J., Steinberg, S. M., Soballe, P. W., Lipkowitz, S., Klein, P., Kirsch, I. R. (2005). Randomized Comparison of Group Versus Individual Genetic Education and Counseling for Familial Breast and/or Ovarian Cancer. JCO 23: 3455-3464 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Weitzel, J. N., McCaffrey, S. M., Nedelcu, R., MacDonald, D. J., Blazer, K. R., Cullinane, C. A. (2003). Effect of Genetic Cancer Risk Assessment on Surgical Decisions at Breast Cancer Diagnosis. Arch Surg 138: 1323-1328 [Abstract] [Full Text]