BRCA Test In Breast Cancer

In India, where breast cancer is the most common cancer among women and the age for the onset of breast and ovarian cancer is a decade younger than other countries, understanding the role of BRCA genes is more important than ever before.

BRCA genes act as tumour suppressors by preventing cells from growing indiscriminately and becoming cancerous. Mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes could, therefore, potentially increase the likelihood of tumours. Over the last decade, it has been observed that women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer below the age of 50 and have tested negatively for ER, PR and HER2 receptors are more likely to BRCA1 or BRCA2 positive. Simply put, such women are at an increased risk for developing a second malignancy in their ovaries. Further, even after such women have undergone surgery and chemotherapy for ovarian cancer, they tend to relapse earlier than other patients. In cases where the ovarian cancer returns within six months of the last chemo cycle, the disease is termed as drug-resistant and is much harder to treat. There is also a 25-50 percent chance that their children will also be BRCA1 and BRCA2 positive and will be at a higher risk of developing cancer at an earlier age. In men, BRCA gene mutations increase the chances of pancreatic, prostrate and male breast cancer.

In recent years, BRCA testing has been declared as essential for every woman diagnosed with breast and ovarian cancer. BRCA tests are simple blood tests that are offered by several laboratories in major metro cities in India. Understand, however, that this is an advanced test that calls for specialised equipment and knowhow – follow your doctor’s recommendations for laboratories that specialise in oncology tests or

By Dr. Rajas Patel - Oncologist
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