BRCA testing

BRCA Testing

INTRODUCTION ● BRCA Testing is a gene test that uses DNA analyses. ● This test is usually done to identify the harmful changes of the two breast cancer susceptibility genes. ● Genetic testing helps the people more chances to know more about breast cancer. ● BRCA mutations can either be inherited or acquired. These 2 types of BRCA mutation tests can be given at different times and are used to identify different mutations.

Tests to identify breast cancer ● Tumor Testing ● Blood or Saliva Testing Both of these tests should be done by a doctor, so be sure to ask yours about BRCA testing as early as possible to better understand your treatment options.

Tumor Testing: ● This is comprehensive and can be done as early as during surgery. ● It could increase your odds of identifying a mutation by almost 65% compared to DNA testing alone.

Blood or Saliva Testing: ● This type of testing uses DNA to identify inherited BRCA mutations. ● This is important to determine your family’s cancer risk and your treatment options.

TYPES OF BREAST CANCER TREATMENT 1. Surgery 2. Chemotherapy 3. Targeted therapy 4. Radiation therapy

Surgery ● The most common treatment for breast cancer. ● This removes as much of the cancerous tissue as possible. ● Mainly two types of surgery to remove breast cancer: breast-conserving surgery and mastectomy. ● Breast-conserving surgery removes only part of the breast containing cancer. ● But mastectomy removes the entire breast, including all of the breast tissue and sometimes nearby tissues.

Chemotherapy ● The chemotherapy method is used to kill cancer cells. ● Chemotherapy drugs can be injected or infused into a vein, or given by mouth. Multiple chemotherapy drugs are typically used to treat early breast cancer.

Targeted Therapy ● Targeted therapy is a type of treatment designed to block the growth of cancer cells. ● There are many different types of targeted therapies and they work on different pathways in cancer cells.

Radiation Therapy ● Radiation therapy uses high-energy X-rays to kill cancer cells. ● This type of treatment can be useful after surgery or if cancer has spread to other parts of the body.