By Vera Viner
After last week’s announcement of Angelina Jolie taking part in a mastectomy due to a high genetic risk, there has been much focus on the family history of breast cancer and how likely some women are to get this disease.
Determining genetic risk for different cancers could help people gain early detection treatments or decide on particular prevention methods. According to Medical News Today, a new research program in the United Kingdom is aimed toward providing more people with genetic testing to determine their likelihood of contracting cancer.
Four organizations – the Institute of Cancer Research, the Royal Marsden, and the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, and Illumina Inc – have come together to form this program, which is currently worth $4 million.
In the UK, testing for cancer predisposition genes is very limited and these organizations aim to improve genetics testing. The researchers working on this program explained that gene testing could enhance the end results of cancer patients’ health and the health of their families.
“It is very important to know if a mutation in a person’s genetic blueprint has caused their cancer. 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,” Professor Nazneen Rahman, lead researcher of the program and Head of Genetics at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), told the news source. “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 preventive 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.”
By identifying risk factors for certain cancers, it is possible to prevent the disease from affecting some human lives. For instance, women who are at high genetic risk of ovarian cancer do have the option to remove their ovaries surgically and prevent the cancer from developing. Elevated monitoring and early diagnosis is also another option to take. In the end, genetic testing should help save lives.
The program in the UK has developed a new test called TruSight Cancer panel, which conducts new sequencing procedures and can analyze 97 cancer predisposition genes in only a few weeks. This test should be available in many clinics starting in 2014.
“Knowing whether or not a patient has a gene mutation is an important part of making personalized treatment plans,” Professor Martin Gore, Medical Director of the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, told the source. “We want to be able to get the genetic information we need, when we need it. Patients are also increasingly aware of the value of genetic testing and more and more patients are requesting testing. This program will help make genetic testing quicker and simpler and The Royal Marsden is excited to be leading on its clinical implementation.”
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