Whether or not you have a breast cancer gene can be determined by a simple blood test, but the consequences of its results are not so simple.
The genetic blood test determines if the patient carries BRCA1 or BRCA2 breast cancer gene. If the results are positive, it means that the risk is very high for getting breast cancer, and it also carries a significantly increased risk for ovarian cancer in women. If a woman tests positive, it also means that her male and female siblings have a 50 percent chance of also carrying the gene.
Testing positive also has ramifications for the next generation since one-half of our genes come from our mother and the other half from our father. So if you carried a gene, your children would have a 50 percent risk of also having the gene.
If someone tests positive and chooses not to take preventive steps to reduce their risk (such as removal of the breasts and ovaries), then their insurance company may decide to label her as having a pre-existing condition and may not cover her breast or ovarian cancer treatment if and when it happens.
What if the test is negative for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes? Unfortunately, that doesn't mean you will never get breast cancer. It means you would still fall into the same category as the majority of women who have a one in seven lifetime risk of getting breast cancer.
Researchers believe that there are other breast cancer genes that have not yet been identified. If someone has a significant family history of pre-menopausal breast cancer, the patient should still be counseled. She and her family may have a gene we simply can't pinpoint yet and for which there is no blood test.
No one should have a genetic blood test without first getting genetic counseling. As you now know, this isn't "just another blood test." It carries ramifications for the woman and her immediate family.
If one sister tests positive and another negative, there can be some interesting family dynamics that result, too - one feels guilty but relieved she isn't carrying the gene, while the other sister has to make some big decisions about how to reduce risk and may feel angry that she had bad luck with the gene pool of her family.
The blood test is expensive and costs around $3,500. That's because of the DNA analysis that is required. If one family member does carry the gene, and other family members are now going to be tested, the lab can look at the specific DNA string where the breast cancer gene was located. This results cuts down on the time and expense since they know where to look. It then costs from $400 to $700.
So, if you or your family is considering genetic testing, seek counseling first with a genetics counselor who is professionally trained for this purpose. Only then will you know what to expect and how to approach psychologically the results of this not-so-simple blood test.
