Breast Cancer Gene Tests Won't Help Most Women: Report

Checking for tumor-linked BRCA gene only benefits 10 percent of women, panel says.

MONDAY, April 1 (HealthDay News) -- The benefits of genetic testing to assess the risk of breast and ovarian cancers linked to the BRCA gene are limited to a small number of women, a new report indicates.

Mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes greatly increase a woman's risk of developing these cancers. Women with these mutations have a 70 percent chance of developing breast cancer -- which is five times greater than in the general population -- and increase their lifetime risk of ovarian cancer from less than 2 percent to as high as 46 percent.

An important step in preventing these cancers is helping women understand their risk, according to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.

In preparing a draft report and recommendations, the task force examined available evidence to determine if genetic counseling and testing could benefit women most likely to have BRCA mutations.

The task force concluded that more than 90 percent of American women -- those whose family history does not indicate an increased risk for BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations -- will not benefit from genetic testing or counseling.