Breast cancer

• Fact: Breast cancer strikes one in eight women during their lives. It kills more American women than any other cancer except lung cancer.
• Proportion of risk that’s in your genes: 27 percent.
• What you can do: Our gene test gauges the extent of your genetic risk. Exercising more, smoking less, maintaining a healthy weight and avoiding long-term hormone replacement therapy can help prevent breast cancer. Early detection of the disease through regular mammograms and breast self-examinations can detect the cancer when it is small and has not spread, significantly increasing the chances of survival.
• Did you know? Drinking two alcoholic drinks a day increases your risk of developing breast cancer.

Breast cancer is a disease in which cells in the breast grow out of control. These extra cells can form a mass of tissue called a tumor, and sometimes break away and invade and damage nearby tissues and organs.

Women in North America have the highest rate of breast cancer in the world, with more than 180,000 new cases diagnosed every year.

For most women, genes play only a minor role in their breast cancer risk, with lifestyle, environment and behavior playing a much more important part. You’ve probably heard about the BRCA genes, the first genes linked to familial breast and ovarian cancer that are most commonly found in women of Ashkenazi (Eastern European) Jewish descent. Navigenics does not currently test for the BRCA variants, because the bulk of a woman’s inherited risk appears to result from combinations of more common genetic variants. The Navigenics DNA tests currently look for these more common genetic variants.

Being at high risk of breast cancer is not a death sentence. If caught early enough, the health condition is highly treatable, and today more than 2.5 million American women can call themselves breast cancer survivors.

Genetic testing can help you understand whether you have an above-average genetic risk of breast cancer. Those at extremely high risk for the disease can talk to their doctor about early detection strategies and aggressive preventive measures, including surgery to remove the breasts or preventive medication. The average woman, however, can be well served by maintaining a healthy weight, exercising, limiting alcohol, eating nutritious meals that are low in animal fat, and following recommended breast cancer screening guidelines. Breast cancer tests include ultrasounds, mammograms and MRIs.