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Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano

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Genetic Testing 

A Genetic Test for Breast Cancer: What You Should Know

For women who want to better understand their personal risk for breast cancer, a new genetic-based test can help provide some insight. OncoVue® is based on genetics as well as a woman’s personal history. Here are a few key points about the test. 

The test can provide insight into risk. The test is significant because it can give useful information about women who don’t necessarily have a strong personal or family history of breast cancer. It allows a change in management of a woman’s particular risk of breast cancer based on the results. This might include starting mammograms at a younger age, for example. 

The test does not look for a genetic mutation. Rather, it looks for a particular combination of genes, along with a woman’s medical history, and then computes a score, which quantifies her lifetime risk of breast cancer. She can use that information to modify her risk with various medical interventions or increased surveillance. Women who might find it most informative are those who likely don’t have genetic mutation (the BRCA gene).  

The test is noninvasive. It uses only an oral rinse, rather than a blood sample.   

The test is not offered directly to patients. InterGenetics, the test’s manufacturer, designed OncoVue to help women and their doctors work together to understand a woman’s risk and design a prevention plan.  

Consider your doctor a resource. Most women appreciate the benefit of knowing if they are placed in a slightly higher risk category based on the test, which can enable them to be that much more proactive about their breast cancer risk. 

Call 469.814.5500 for more information on genetic testing.