Jan's sister and mother have both had breast cancer. She is wondering if she should undergo genetic testing to check for a mutation of the BRCA1 gene. A mutation in the BRCA1 gene is commonly associated with, but not guaranteed to cause, breast cancer. The presence of a mutation increases a patient's chances of getting breast cancer to about 85 percent, compared to a 13 percent risk in the general population. Costs may vary, but most labs charge patients or their insurance companies less than $3,000 to sequence the BRCA1 to look for mutations.

Do you think that Jan should undergo genetic

Question

Jan's sister and mother have both had breast cancer. She is wondering if she should undergo genetic testing to check for a mutation of the BRCA1 gene. A mutation in the BRCA1 gene is commonly associated with, but not guaranteed to cause, breast cancer. The presence of a mutation increases a patient's chances of getting breast cancer to about 85 percent, compared to a 13 percent risk in the general population. Costs may vary, but most labs charge patients or their insurance companies less than $3,000 to sequence the BRCA1 to look for mutations.


Do you think that Jan should undergo genetic