Gene Test Better Predicts Breast Cancer Risk

by LotusFlower | December 13, 2008 at 01:00 am

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Genetic testing better predicts breast cancer risk that the current Gail model of testing.

A new model called the OncoVue model includes genetic testing alongside information evaluated by Gail model has been found to be better at estimating breast cancer risk.

Knowing that a patient is at greater risk of breast cancer means that regular screening can be planned for so that any cancer can be detected earlier and so treatment can be given earlier too leading to better outcomes for patients.

A new genetic test is much better at predicting breast cancer risk than the standard model, researchers report.

The new test, known as OncoVue, looks at variations in 19 genes associated with breast cancer risk, says Kathie Dalessandri, MD, a breast cancer researcher at the University of California, San Francisco.

Currently, doctors use the Gail model to determine a woman's chance of developing breast cancer. It evaluates five personal and family predictors of breast cancer risk -- age, age at first period, number of breast biopsies performed, age at the birth of first child, and number of immediate relatives who have had breast cancer.

"We know the Gail model is good at predicting risk of breast cancer within a population, but on an individual level, it's not much better than a flip of a coin," says Jennifer Eng-Wong, MD, a breast cancer specialist at Georgetown University Hospital. She was not involved with the work.

"One way to improve on the Gail model would be to incorporate an individual's own genetic assessment," she tells WebMD.