Question: What genetic tests do you recommend for your patients who are worried about cancer risks that run in their families? My father and uncle both have been diagnosed with prostate cancer (but are still alive and healthy). Is there a test I should take? I am 54.
Dr. Hibberd's answer:
Genetic testing for cancer susceptibility is in its infancy. We do not recommend genetic testing for males for prostate cancer surveillance, and have no recommended genetic testing for malignancy in males that is useful at present.
Routine random PSA screenings are no longer generally recommended for screening purposes in any age group, but are useful when a diagnosis of prostate cancer is being considered. It is recommended you discuss this with your personal physician, as guidelines for prostate cancer detection have been recently modified to protect the public from over-vigorous and unnecessary interventions in asymptomatic populations.
BRCA testing for breast cancer in women can be useful for some women at high risk, and but the tests have
consequences that need to be discussed with a genetic counselor first. BRCA testing is not recommended in general for women who don’t have strong family histories of this disorder, but it may useful in high risk population groups such as in those of Ashkanazi Jewish descent.
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