Claim: Gene test could spare women from unnecessary radiation
Verdict: SUPPORTS

Retrieved passages:
title: Prevent Breast Cancer
text: the next ten years will again be calculated. Professor Evans and his team developed a gene test in October 2017 to provide more accurate risk information to families specifically with the BRCA gene mutation. The BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations are known to increase the risk of breast cancer in patients between 45 and 90 per cent. The test analysed 18 genetic variants Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms – SNPs in blood or saliva across 1,400 women who carried the BRCA high-risk gene. Researchers believe the test could reduce the number of pre-emptive mastectomies in the UK from 50 to 36 per

title: Predictive medicine
text: have been published in scientific literature that show associations between specific genetic variants in a person's genetic code and a specific disease. Association and correlation studies have found that a female individual with a mutation in the BRCA1 gene has a 65% cumulative risk of breast cancer. Additionally, new tests from Genetic Technologies LTD and Phenogen Sciences Inc. comparing non-coding DNA to a woman's lifetime exposure to estrogen can now determine a woman's probability of developing estrogen positive breast cancer also known as sporadic breast cancer (the most prevalent form of breast cancer). Genetic variants in the Factor V gene

title: Downwinders
text: radionuclides that may be passed through the breast milk, causing some women who are downwinders to be reluctant to breastfeed their children. While reducing the radioactive intake of their infants is an important preventative measure, it denies women the opportunity to engage a preventative measure for their own health; i.e. breastfeeding has been widely documented as a practice that can reduce women's risk of developing breast cancer. By refraining from breastfeeding, women downwinders' risks of breast cancer incidence becomes even more elevated. Evidence about radiation-related pregnancy and birth outcomes comes from studies of nuclear bomb and test site survivors and

title: Prevent Breast Cancer
text: distinct pillars: Gene Research – Examining how changes and mutations in genes can affect an individual’s risk of developing breast cancer Early Detection & Improved Screening – Identifying new and unique screening methods to ensure early and accurate diagnoses Preventative Drug Research – Investigating drugs that can be used as a preventative measure to reduce an individual’s risk of developing breast cancer Diet & Lifestyle – Research into lifestyle factors that contribute to breast cancer risk and how diet and exercise can reduce this. The PROCAS1 recruited over 58,000 women and was the largest recruiting study in the UK. It

title: Breast cancer screening
text: include silicone oil and polyacrylamide gel. Genetic testing does not detect cancers, but may reveal a propensity to develop cancer. Women who are known to have a higher risk of developing breast cancer usually undertake more aggressive screening programs. A clinical practice guideline by the US Preventive Services Task Force recommends against routine referral for genetic counseling or routine testing for BRCA mutations, on fair evidence that the harms outweigh the benefits. It also encourages a referral for counseling and testing in women who have a family history that indicates they have an increased risk of a BRCA mutation, on

title: Prevent Breast Cancer
text: was led by Prevent Breast Cancer Researcher, Professor of Genetics, Gareth Evans. The study evaluated the feasibility of introducing personalised breast cancer risk estimation into the NHS Breast Screening programme through the collection of information on breast cancer risk factors. Prevent Breast Cancer funded the collection of saliva samples and DNA extraction from 10,000 women on the study and testing genetic fragments (SNPs) for key information. The information for each woman was collated in order to provide a risk score. PROCAS 2 launched in October 2017 and will involve a further 18,600 women, whose risk of developing the disease within

title: ENU
text: female ["+"/"+"]). Thus with any progeny carrying a mutation induced by radiation at one of the 7 loci, would exhibit the mutant phenotype in the first generation itself. This approach, the specific locus test (SLT) allowed Russell to study a wide range of specific mutations and to calculate the mutation rates induced by radiations. In addition to studying the effect of radiation for SLT, Russell et al. were also interested in studying the effect of chemical mutagens such as procarbazine and ethylnitrosourea for SLT. At that time, procarbazine was the most potent chemical mutagen known to cause a significant spermatogonial

title: Personalized medicine
text: people such as David Flockhart, it was discovered that women with certain mutation in their CYP2D6 gene, a gene that encodes the metabolizing enzyme, were not able to efficiently break down Tamoxifen, making it an ineffective treatment for their cancer. Since then, women are now genotyped for those specific mutations, so that immediately these women can have the most effective treatment therapy. Screening for these mutations is carried out via high-throughput screening or phenotypic screening. Several drug discovery and pharmaceutical companies are currently utilizing these technologies to not only advance the study of personalised medicine, but also to amplify genetic

title: Ovarian cancer
text: This is often done after completion of childbearing years. This reduces the chances of developing both breast cancer (by around 50%) and ovarian cancer (by about 96%) in people at high risk. Women with "BRCA" gene mutations usually also have their Fallopian tubes removed at the same time (salpingo-oophorectomy), since they also have an increased risk of Fallopian tube cancer. However, these statistics may overestimate the risk reduction because of how they have been studied. People with a significant family history for ovarian cancer are often referred to a genetic counselor to see if testing for BRCA mutations would be

title: American Jewish Congress
text: revealing that Ashkenazi Jewish women have higher than average frequencies of gene mutations predisposing them to breast and ovarian cancer. The 1996 conference, Understanding the Genetics of Breast Cancer: Implications for Treatment, Policy and Advocacy, organized by national CWE, has been duplicated by AJCongress regions nationwide. In 2000, CWE presented Cancer Genetics in the Ashkenazi Community, to explore medical breakthroughs since the first conference as well as new developments in genetic testing. This follow-up conference was distinctly more upbeat than its predecessor, both in terms of medical preventive measures and in regard to legislation to ensure privacy and eliminate discrimination

title: Prevent Breast Cancer
text: cent. The plan is for the genetic test to enter clinical practice in the UK in six months. Referrals for the gene test more than doubled in 2013 after Angelina Jolie shared her own experiences with the media. She decided to undergo a double mastectomy after learning she had an up to 87 per cent chance of developing breast cancer. The increase in referrals was dubbed the "Angelina Jolie effect" by the media. The 2-Day Diet was developed by Professor Tony Howell and Dr Michelle Harvie, both of whom have spent years researching and developing the optimum diet for weight

title: NASA Space Radiation Laboratory
text: or indirectly ionizing and thus damaging the components of living cells, including genetic material called DNA, ionizing radiation may cause changes in cells' ability to carry out repair and reproduction. This may lead to mutations, which, in turn, may result in tumors, cancer, genetic defects in offspring, or death. Although the spacecraft itself somewhat reduces radiation exposure, it does not completely shield astronauts from galactic cosmic rays, which are highly energetic heavy ions, or from solar energetic particles, which primarily are energetic protons. By one NASA estimate, for each year that astronauts spend in deep space, about one-third of their

title: Albert J. Fornace Jr.
text: and UV radiation as model stress agents. These studies also have practical implications for health risks of radiation, assessment of radiation injury, as well as cancer treatment. Since 2010, he has directed a NASA Specialized Center of Research to assess cancer risk during long-term space missions. Earlier studies focused on DNA repair and DNA recombination. Using sensitive DNA strand break assays in human cells, he was the first to show scission events by nucleotide excision repair, as well as recombination of chromosomal DNA containing damaged DNA. While in Dr. Jerry Crabtree’s laboratory, he elucidated a type of common regional genetic

title: Color Genomics
text: testing to their medical benefits packages. In 2016, Color Genomics and University of Washington released a publicly available database of variants in 27 breast cancer genes based on samples from women who were over 70 years old and had never had breast cancer to serve as a scientific control in efforts to understand variants of uncertain significance. The samples were collected from samples given to the Women’s Health Initiative between 1993 and 2005. In 2018, Color expanded its offering to include a $249 test for hereditary heart health. The test analyzes 30 genes to look for risk of a wide

title: Ataxia-telangiectasia
text: is less need to diagnose them early in their appearance. Surveillance for leukemia and lymphoma is thus not helpful, other than considering cancer as a diagnostic possibility whenever possible symptoms of cancer (e.g. persistent swollen lymph glands, unexplained fever) arise. Women who are A-T carriers (who have one mutated copy of the ATM gene), have approximately a two-fold increased risk for the development of breast cancer compared to the general population. This includes all mothers of A-T children and some female relatives. Current consensus is that special screening tests are not helpful, but all women should have routine cancer surveillance.

title: Sex selection
text: unintended pregnancy and abortion, and minimized intimate partner violence and/or child neglect. The Ethics Committee of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine concluded that it is ethically appropriate to employ these new reproductive technologies to avoid the birth of children suffering from X-linked genetic disorders. However, to use preimplantation genetic diagnosis and sex selection solely for non-medical reasons, the Committee claims, is morally inappropriate. Also, primary care physicians questioned whether women could truly express free choice under pressure from family and community. In addition, primary care physicians voiced the concerns that sex selection led to invasive medical interventions in the

title: Douglas Easton
text: on a study of almost 50,000 women. The gene with the strongest association with breast cancer risk was FGFR2; women with two copies of the gene's high-risk allele had a 60% increased risk of breast cancer. This finding was described by "New Scientist" as "...the most significant advance in the genetics of breast cancer since researchers implicated the genes BRCA1 and BRCA2". He has since published additional research identifying genes associated with breast cancer risk. Easton was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2002. In 2008, the American Association for Cancer Research chose him to receive

title: BRCA mutation
text: estrogen-progesterone combinations for women who have a uterus, and unopposed estrogen for women whose uterus was removed. Estrogen can cause breast cancer, but as the amount of estrogen taken is less than the amount produced by the now-removed ovaries, the net risk is usually judged to be acceptable. Some sources assume that oophorectomy before age 50 doubles the risk of cardiovascular disease and increases risk of hip fractures caused by osteoporosis in the relevant population. Given the high risks and the low benefit of lifestyle choices in "BRCA" mutation carriers, no lifestyle choices provide sufficient protection. Having her first child

title: Lesch–Nyhan syndrome
text: the HPRT gene mutations may confirm diagnosis, and are particularly helpful for subsequent 'carrier testing' in at-risk females such as close family relatives on the female side. The use of biochemical testing for the detection of carriers is technically demanding and not often used. Biochemical analyses that have been performed on hair bulbs from at risk women have had a small number of both false positive and false negative outcomes. If only a suspected carrier female is available for mutation testing, it may be appropriate to grow her lymphocytes in 6-thioguanine (a purine analogue), which allows only HGPRT-deficient cells to

title: BRCA mutation
text: for any given type of cancer is the higher risk of the two genes (e.g., the ovarian cancer risk from "BRCA1" and the pancreatic cancer risk from "BRCA2"). Inheriting two "BRCA2" mutations produces Fanconi anemia. Each pregnancy in genetically typical women is associated with a significant reduction in the mother's risk of developing breast cancer after age 40. The younger the woman is at the time of her first birth, the more protection against breast cancer she receives. Breastfeeding for more than one year protects against breast cancer. Pregnancy also protects against ovarian cancer in genetically typical women. Although some