Understanding Advancements in Genetic Testing for Breast Cancer
Our understanding of breast cancer is rapidly advancing. Breast cancer is not a single disease entity, but a heterogeneous disease spectrum with numerous genetic alterations involved in its pathogenesis.
- Some breast cancers are indolent and not life-threatening, while others are very aggressive.
- Similarly, we find different genetic alterations in different breast cancers.
- Some of these genetic changes are familial, or the result of genetic mutations passed from parent to child.
The BRCA genes were the first to shed light on familial breast cancer genetics. Now we are capable of screening over a dozen different genes for mutations implicated in breast cancer risk. Navigating these new complexities in genetic testing can be […]