SearchExclusive.com

You Probably Had these BRCA Testing FAQs on Your Mind

A detailed guide to understanding what BRCA testing is, who should get tested, and what results you can expect.

There are many forms of cancer, out of which some are hereditary cancers. With so many different types of the disease and many treatments and screening tests available, understanding hereditary cancers can be confusing. Hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) is one such topic. There is also a genetic testing available to determine your risk factors for such cancers, known as BRCA testing. Here are some of the most common FAQS (frequently asked questions) about various aspects of BRCA testing. You most likely had one or more such questions on your mind, but did not know whom to ask. We provide you the answers that you were looking for about BRCA testing.

What is BRCA testing all about?

First of all, the genetic BRCA testing is not a test to detect whether or not if you have cancer. Rather, it is a test that helps doctors determine whether you and your family are at an increased risk of developing breast cancer or ovarian cancer. BRCA testing is done to check if there are any mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes. These genes are usually present in all people, and belong to a class of genes called tumor suppressors.

What does HBOC mean?

Hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) refers to these two cancers that run in certain families, and this may occur because of some alteration in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes of the family members. If you have a BRCA gene mutation, you can have up to an 87 percent chance of breast cancer and up to 44 percent of developing ovarian cancer. Such genetic mutations can be passed down to you from either parent. If a man has such a mutation, his risk of developing breast cancer and prostate cancer goes up.

Who should be tested for BRCA mutations?

A genetic counselor can be of help if you want to understand whether or not you have an inherited risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer. Usually, people asked to get BRCA testing done have one or more of these factors:

Family members who have multiple cancers (for example, breast and ovarian)
Several members of the family who had different cancers throughout generations
A family member who was diagnosed with cancer before the age of 50
A history of male breast cancers in the family, or clustering of other cancers such as prostate, colon, or stomach

How is BRCA testing done?

In most cases, BRCA testing involves a simple blood test using a needle to draw blood. This blood sample is then sent to a special lab for DNA analysis. Your doctor may recommend genetic counseling both before and after the BRCA testing. In some cases, BRCA testing is done by collecting other sample types for the DNA analysis, like your saliva or a skin biopsy.

How long after the BRCA testing can I expect the results?

It usually takes a number of weeks to get the results for your BRCA testing. You get your test results from your genetic counselor, and then discuss the next steps depending on your results.

What can the test results mean?

If you test positive after your BRCA testing, it means that you have an inherited genetic mutation of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene. Although it means that you are at an increased risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer, it does not mean that you will get these cancers for sure.

A negative result means that you do not have an inherited genetic mutation in your BRCA genes. However, it does not indicate that you will never develop cancer in your lifetime.

A third type of result is found in approximately 7 percent of BRCA testing cases, which reveals a mutation that is of unclear significance. This means that either of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene has some abnormality, but it isn’t clear that the abnormality is associated with an increased chance of developing breast or ovarian cancer.

Depending on your BRCA testing results, your doctor will recommend the best course of action for you. If you test positive, he/she will discuss the options that you have and the things that you can do to manage your risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer.

Related Reading

Tips for Buying the Best Dog Food

Most of the dogs do not have a food fuss and may eat almost anything that you feed them. Dogs are not choosy at all when it comes to food and nutrition. Hence, it is important to make sure that the food that you are purchasing for your dog is healthy. The landscape of dog food has been developing by leaps and bounds in recent times. There is a wide variety of options to choose from in the online and offline market. Given the wide range of options that are available today, buying the best dog food might seem to be a confusing task indeed. All the commercial pet food that is available in the market today is regulated by the FDA. Therefore, most of the products do contain nutritious, healthy, and safe ingredients. But it does help to know certain basic factors you should look for while buying food for your dog. Prioritize on the nutritional guarantee The best dog food, which meets the dog’s needs adequately has a statement written on the label of the product, from the Association of American Feed Control Officials. Buy from some of the best dog food brands, such as Fromm Family Foods, Earthborn Holistic, Nature’s Variety Instinct, and The Honest Kitchen.

Different Types of Kitchen Cabinets Available for Your Home

The most important aspect when designing your kitchen is deciding on the type of cabinets. In addition to functionality, kitchen cabinets score on aesthetics as well. Once the layout is planned, you can go ahead with choosing the cabinets. If you’re remodeling your home or just the kitchen, what you need to consider are the types of cabinets that furnish your kitchen. Here are a few types of kitchen cabinets that you can choose from. Base cabinets These kitchen cabinets are mounted on the floor and they are placed after checking out the floor plan. A major part of your job in the kitchen is on these base cabinets, which hold and support the countertops. These base cabinets are combined to carve out kitchen islands. A number of base cabinets are fused/set against one another and installed on site. The base cabinets, in addition to supporting the countertops, serve as drawers to hold your cutlery and appliances. Wall cabinets Mounted on the walls, these cabinets can store everything, right from your cookware to cookbooks. In terms of design, they offer utmost flexibility. Wall cabinet kitchen is available in varying heights, multiple widths, and custom depth options. This customization helps you to fit in your stuff of varying shapes and sizes into the wall cabinets.

How to Pick the Right Dog Food for a Sensitive Stomach

In today’s world, where you are presented with over a dozen choices for every item you would purchase for your own kitchen, it is not surprising that you have an equal number of options for your dog’s food. However, choosing the perfect brand and formula for your dog out of a range of options in the market is not an easy job. Your pet depends on you and trusts you to make the right choice for them. Therefore, it is imperative that you do your research about the products available in the market, understand what your dog needs, know what might be your pet’s problems, and then make a sound decision. What is a sensitive stomach? Dogs are known to have voracious and large appetites. Keeping that in mind, it is normal to assume that they have strong stomachs. They can eat close to anything be it sweets, bakes, chewy gum, hard leather or even woolen socks for that matter! It always so happens that the strongest of them are prone to allergies and can develop a disorder which is medically translated as a sensitive stomach. This might be due to a sudden change in the food habits or even due an infection picked up from somewhere.

All You Need to Know about Cat Food

For cat owners, cat food is a hot topic. You need to think about it in different aspects. The best thing is to know which ingredients are good for cat food and which are harmful. If you are aware of this, you can get an idea about the quality of the cat food just by going through the label. It is always sensible to stick to one brand of cat food. However, you may also want to try and prepare cat food yourself. There are also various options for wet cat food as well. Cat’s love for fish is universal, so you can do without going for expensive cat food. Nevertheless, whether you buy it or prepare cat food at home, you need to ensure that the food contains enough nutrition and calories. You would need to have some idea about the ingredients that must be present in cat food and make a worthy selection for your cat. Basic ingredients present in good cat foods Cats need a variety of nutrients to stay healthy and active; they need various vitamins, minerals, fats, proteins, and oils. The following is a brief explanation of the basic ingredients that should be present in cat foods.