Breast Cancer Breast Cancer A test that can help determine a woman's risk of developing certain kinds of cancer is now available. The test looks at genetic information gained from a blood sample. If specific changes have occurred in a particular gene, the woman is more likely to develop breast or ovarian cancer. Doctors say the test is most helpful for women who have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer and for women who were diagnosed with cancer before menopause.
Doctors believe that most cases of breast cancer in premenopausal women are genetically linked.
This test could help women with family histories of cancer know whether they need to take extra screening precautions. If women already have had cancer, they can find out if they're at increased risk of developing other kinds of cancer. There is some controversy surrounding this test. It's expensive, and not all insurance companies will pay for it. Also, some doctors aren't sure how much good it will really do, since we don't have a way to prevent cancer.