Because the responsible genes are highly penetrant, the lifetime risk for breast or ovarian cancer in women from these families is quite high. Armed with this information, women who have not inherited the disease gene can be reassured that their risk does not exceed that of the general population. Such patients should be offered intervention and prevention strategies for breast and ovarian cancer. Other inherited conditions increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Each of these conditions is associated with a distinct pattern of cancer types.
Family history remains extremely important in assessing whether a cancer appears hereditary.
Women concerned about breast and ovarian cancer have several options today. Prophylactic mastectomy has been shown to reduce the incidence of breast cancer in women with a positive family history. The UK Hereditary Cancer Program offers cancer risk assessment to families with a strong family history of breast and ovarian cancer. In addition, the UK Hereditary Cancer Program is building a cancer registry. The aim of the cancer registry is to identify individuals at high risk of breast and ovarian cancer for future prevention studies.