Screening For Breast Cancer May Not For All Women: Study

Most of the women generally urged to undergo breast cancer screening. But, recent study stated that undergoing frequent breast cancer screening is not appropriate for all women.

It is found that genetic mutations are responsible for a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer. But, study stated that about 2% of the population should undergo breast cancer screening which is due to genetic mutations such as BRCA1 or BRCA2. Women should undergo a simple blood test to check these genetic mutations, but the analysis of the results can be sometimes very much complicated.

Women with these genetic mutations are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer in their earlier ages only. Usually, general women are at 12.5 percent risk of developing breast cancer, but women with these BRCA mutations are at approximately 60 percent higher risk. Similarly lifetime risk for ovarian cancer rises from 1.4 percent to approximately 40 percent in women with BRCA mutations.

Less than 10 percent of the women with breast cancer have one of the BRCA mutations and more than 15 percent of the women with ovarian cancer carry one of the BRCA mutations. Usually, test for these genetic mutations is recommended for women whose family members undergo cancer diagnosis throughout several generations.