A charitable foundation in the United Kingdom recently
announced a pilot program to genetically test patients for ovarian and breast
cancer. Due to sequencing, which is a method for reading genetic code, looking
for gene mutations has become faster and more affordable (only a few hundred
dollars), according to Wellcome Trust.
The genetic test was developed by Illumina Inc. and was designed to analyze
97 cancer-associated genes, such as the BRCA 1 and 2 genetic markers, within
just a few weeks. The test will be introduced in London’s Royal Marsden
hospitals in 2014. If it’s successful, it will expand to the rest of the United
Kingdom and the National Health Service.
“It is very important to know if a mutation in a person’s genetic blueprint has caused their cancer,” explained Dr. Nazneen Rahman, a genetics leader at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) and the Cancer Genetics Clinical Unit at The Royal Marsden. “It allows more personalized treatment, so for example such people are often at risk of getting another cancer and may choose to have more comprehensive surgery, or may need different medicines, or extra monitoring. It also improves the information available for relatives about their own cancer risks. Sometimes a relative is found to also have an increased risk of cancer, and screening or preventative measures can be employed. Just as frequently, testing provides the reassuring news that a relative is not at increased risk of cancer and does not need interventions.”
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