Statement from The Institute of Cancer Research, London, about BRCA genetic research and testing, in the light of the announcement by Angelina Jolie that she has had a double mastectomy to reduce her BRCA1-associated risk of developing breast cancer.
“Research into the BRCA genes here and at other institutions has transformed our understanding of the inheritance of cancer risk, and allowed doctors to begin offering women with rare BRCA defects surgery to prevent breast and ovarian cancer, and regular monitoring to pick up early signs. Increasingly scientists are expanding our understanding of cancer genetics to cover other gene faults that are more common but have a less dramatic effect on cancer risk, and other types of cancer too. The Institute of Cancer Research leads the world in the search for these new gene defects, and it’s our ultimate ambition that genetic information should be routinely used to help people with a family history of cancer to manage their risk and make informed decisions about their health.”