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Risks
By Mayo Clinic staffThere's really no medical risk associated with being tested for a BRCA gene mutation. Risks of testing are tied to the emotional, financial and social implications of your test results.
If you test positive for a BRCA gene mutation, you may face:
- Feelings of anxiety, anger or depression
- Concerns over possible medical or life insurance discrimination
- Strained family relationships over learning of a familial genetic mutation
- Difficult decisions about preventive measures that have long-term consequences and provide no guarantee
On the other hand, if you test negative for a BRCA mutation, you may experience:
- Uncertainty and concern that your result may not be a true negative result
- "Survivor guilt" if your family has a known gene mutation
- False reassurance that you won't one day develop cancer
- Peshkin BN, et al. Patient information: Genetic testing for breast and ovarian cancer. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 17, 2008.
- U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Genetic risk assessment and BRCA mutation testing for breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility: Recommendation statement. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2005;143:355.
- The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Elective and risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy. Obstetrics & Gynecology. 2008;111:231.
- Genetic testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2: It's your choice. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/BRCA. Accessed Oct. 22, 2008.
- Cancer facts and figures 2008. American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/downloads/STT/2008CAFFfinalsecured.pdf. Accessed Oct. 17, 2008.
- Brown KL, et al. Genetic counseling for breast cancer risk: General concepts, challenging themes and future directions. Breast Disease. 2006-2007;27:69.
- Lindor NM, et al. Concise handbook of familial cancer susceptibility syndromes - Second edition. Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Monographs. 2008;38:1.
- Rebbeck TR, et al. Bilateral prophylactic mastectomy reduces breast cancer risk in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers: The PROSE study group. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2004;22:1055.
- Finch A, et al. Salpingo-oophorectomy and the risk of ovarian, fallopian tube, and peritoneal cancers in women. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2006;296:185.
