By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
The first-degree relatives of women with breast and gynecologic cancers may be at higher risk for developing cancer. But the risk is not as significant as one may think.
“You have to put it all in perspective: 5% to 10% of all breast cancers are hereditary and 90% to 95% of the time, breast cancer is not an inherited cancer,” said physician Arnold Baskies, a past chairman of the board of the American Cancer Society and currently serving on the Global Breast Cancer Initiative of the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland.
The question becomes what’s the risk and who’s at higher risk? Some of the factors include the age of the patient. Baskies explained that the younger a patient is diagnosed, the higher the chances that the woman has an inherited type of cancer. That can indicate that her relatives may also carry the unfortunate genes and the higher risk associated with them.
Baskies also said that another red flag is whether there were other cancers in the family like prostate or pancreatic or ovarian cancer.
“Those are the types of things that will increase the risk of an inherited mutation indicating higher risk,” he said.
He recommended trying an online assessment tool and meeting with a genetic counselor.
Hematology-Oncology Associates CNY operates offices in East Syracuse, Camillus and Auburn. Kim Conboy, radiation nurse practitioner and genetics coordinator, talks with patients about their risk factors and how that can influence prevention, early detection and management.
“The importance comes from certain genetic mutations like BRCA-1 and BRCA-2, but there are multiple others associated with elevated cancer risk,” Conboy said. “Someone diagnosed, oftentimes it may impact their treatment. Some BRCA-related cancers may respond to certain types of treatments.”
She added that positive results for genetic cancers can also help the patient’s relatives understand their own risk, as first-degree relatives have a 50% chance of carrying the same mutation. The relatives can consider receiving testing to see if they carry the pertinent gene. That can prompt more frequent screening.
It may seem like the male family members of a patient with genetic breast or ovarian cancer should not worry. However, Conboy said that first-degree male relatives can have higher risk of prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, melanoma and male breast cancer.
“If these males will have children, they should know their risk because they could pass it on to their daughters,” Conboy said.
Some people take the strategy of “ignorance is bliss” and don’t want to know if they have a higher risk of cancer because of genetics. Conboy said “that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to develop cancer. It allows you to take more control and make more informed healthcare decisions.”
Some lifestyle changes that can reduce risk for cancer, such as eschewing tobacco and alcohol, using sunscreen, eating healthfully and exercising regularly.
“You can reduce your cancer risk and at the very least do so through routine screenings and have more frequent screening,” Conboy said. “It can be anxiety-provoking but knowing can be beneficial.”
She advises people who feel concerned about their genetic risk for cancer to speak with their healthcare provider. But her practice accepts self-referrals.