Simple Blood Test For BRCA Gene Mutation Helps Save Lives

Main Category: Cancer / Oncology
Also Included In: Genetics;  Breast Cancer;  Ovarian Cancer
Article Date: 19 Aug 2007 - 0:00 PST

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Celia Milner is a third generation cancer survivor. Now that she knows about a simple blood test to check for gene mutations, Milner is hoping the cancers will stop with her.

A breast-ovarian cancer gene test is a blood test that shows whether a woman has breast cancer or ovarian cancer gene mutations, known as BRCA 1 or 2, which increases a woman's chance of having breast, ovarian or other cancers.

September is National Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month. More than 22,000 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer this year and more than 15,000 will die from this deadly cancer. Ovarian cancer ranks fifth in cancer deaths among women.

"I didn't know that if you have a family history of breast cancer, a mutation could be the cause," said Milner. "Had there been greater awareness about the gene mutation, I would have asked for this test years ago and probably would have made the decision to have a full hysterectomy. A simple blood test could have saved our family a lot of pain."

As a result of Milner's positive test result, her sisters chose to take the BRCA test. Both tested negative. Milner hopes the negative test results will alleviate fears in her family.

Every woman is born with the breast cancer gene 1 (BRCA 1) and breast cancer gene 2 (BRCA 2). For unknown reasons, these genes can mutate, putting women at increased risk for developing breast cancer compared with women who do not have these mutations, according to Dr. Tri Dinh, a gynecologic oncologist at The Methodist Hospital.

"There's also a 50-50 chance the mutated genes can be passed on to children, both girls and boys."

In Milner's case, her maternal grandmother had thyroid, breast and brain cancer. Milner's mother had breast cancer at the age of 49, which later metastasized into her ovaries and colon. Milner had breast cancer at 33. Now age 49, she's recovering from fallopian tube cancer, the rarest of all gynecologic cancers. The blood test showed Milner has the BRCA 1 gene mutation, which is associated with a 60-80 percent greater chance of having breast cancer.

Dinh says a positive blood test in someone who is already a breast cancer survivor means the patient could one day have cancer in the other breast. In patients with the BRCA mutation, he recommends removal of the ovaries after completion of child-bearing, in order to decrease the risk of development of ovarian cancer and decrease the risk of recurrence for breast cancer.

"If the patient is young, still of child-bearing age and doesn't have cancer, but tests positive for the BRCA mutation, I usually recommend increased medical surveillance through frequent mammograms and physical exams," said Dinh.

Dinh recommends patients with multiple family members who have breast or ovarian cancer should be tested for BRCA 1 and 2. Most importantly, education and awareness about gynecologic cancers and family history, as well as annual well-woman exams, are key to reducing the incidence of these diseases.

About The Methodist Hospital

The Methodist Hospital's gynecological services feature a team of world-renowned physicians to diagnose and treat gynecologic diseases. The gynecologic oncology services is part of The Methodist Hospital's internationally recognized cancer program. Cancer therapy options include complex pelvic surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy and immunotherapy.

The Methodist Hospital in Houston is one of the nation's largest private, non-profit general hospitals. Dedicated to providing the highest level of patient care, Methodist has a 90 year legacy of medical breakthroughs, such as the world's first multiple-organ transplant in the 1960s, gene therapy for prostate cancer, and the first islet cell transplants in Texas.

Methodist is ranked among the country's top centers in 14 specialties in U.S News & World Report's 2007 America's Best Hospitals issue. The hospital ranked in more specialties than any other hospital in Texas. Methodist is also 9th on FORTUNE's "100 Best Companies to Work For" in 2007.

Methodist is primarily affiliated with Weill Cornell Medical College and New York Presbyterian Hospital, two of the nation's leading centers for patient care, medical education and research. Methodist also is affiliated with the University of Houston.

Methodist Hospital, Houston
6565 Fannin St.
Houston, Tx 77030
United States
http://www.methodisthealth.com