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Download Unknowing carriers of genetic mutation need to know their ovarian
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MEDIARELEASE Embargoed8May2017 Unknowingcarriersofgeneticmutationneedtoknowtheirovariancancerrisk • • • • TheriskofdevelopingovariancanceramongBRCAgenemutationcarriersisincreased fromonepercentinthegeneralpopulationtoupto59percent Morethan300carriersofBRCAgenemutationsarediagnosedwithovariancancer annually Betterknowledgeofanindividual’sgeneticriskmayreducetheoccurrenceofovarian cancer Callforwomenwithaknownfamilyhistoryorovariancancerdiagnosistoconsider genetictestingtodetermineifaBRCAmutationispresent The8thofMaymarksWorldOvarianCancerDay,andOvarianCancerAustraliaisputtingthe spotlightonreducingtheoccurrenceofovariancancerthroughbetterknowledgeofone’sgenetic risk. Uptooneinfivecasesofovariancancerisduetoageneticpredisposition,thatis,carryinga mutationintheirBRCA1orBRCA2gene. OvarianCancerAustralia’sCEOJaneHillsaidoftheexpected1,580ovariancancerdiagnosesin Australiathisyear,morethan300ofthesewomenareestimatedtocarryaBRCAmutation. “Asignificantproportionofthesediagnosesmighthavebeenpreventablehadthesewomenknown theycarriedaBRCAmutation,”MsHillsaid. Ovariancanceristhemostlethalwomen’scancer.Itisestimatedthatin2017,1,047Australian womenwilldiefromthedisease.Ithasafive-yearsurvivalrateof44percent,incomparisonto89 percentforbreastcancer. TheBRCAmutationscanincreaseawoman’slifetimeriskofdevelopingovariancancerfromoneper centinthegeneralpopulationtoapproximately59percent(BRCA1)and17percent(BRCA2).The mutationscanbeinheritedfromeitherparentandthereisa50percentchancethatacarrierwill passthegenefaultontoeachoftheirchildren.TheBRCAmutationsarealsolinkedtoanincreased riskforbreastcancer. WomenwithaknownBRCAmutationcantakestepstoreducingtheriskofdevelopingovarian cancersuchaspreventivesurgery. “Thosewithaknownfamilyhistoryofovariancancershouldconsiderwhethergenetictestingcanbe carriedoutintheirfamilytodetermineiftheycarrytheBRCAmutations,”MsHillsaid. “Itcouldsavenotonlyyourlifebutalsothelivesofyourfamilymembers.” Knownfamilyhistory,however,cannotberelieduponastheonlyindicatorforthepresenceofa BRCAmutation.Studieshaveestimatedthataroundhalfofovariancancerpatientsthatcarrythe BRCAmutationshavenoreportedsignificantfamilyhistoryofbreastorovariancancer. -MORE- MedicaloncologistDrYolandAntillsaidthatonereasonforthisisthatsomepeopledon’tknowthe healthorcancerhistoryoftheirfamily. “NocentralmechanisminAustraliaexistswherebydoctorscancheckthehealthhistoryoftheir patientsor,moreimportantly,theirpatients’relatives,”DrAntillsaid. Anotherreasonforanabsenceoffamilyhistorymightrelatetolimitedavailablecontactwithfamily members. “Youmighthavesmallfamilieswherethepatientisanonlychildortheirparentsareonlychildren, somepatientsmaybedistancedfromtheirfamilieseithergeographicallyorforsocialreasons,orare adoptedandhavenoknowledgeoftheirbirthfamilies,”DrAntillsaid. “Therearealsowomenwithovariancancerwhosefamiliesarelargelymadeupofmalemembers andthereforethenumberofpeopleinthesefamiliestopotentiallygetbreastorovariancanceris significantlyreduced,impactingtheabilitytointerpretafamilyhistory.Thisiswhatwecallan uninformativefamily. “Finally,thegeneticmutationsintheBRCAgenesarenotassociatedwitha100percentriskof ovariancancer.Individualscangothroughtheirlivescarryingthemutationwithoutgettingbreast orovariancancer,furtherreducingthevisibilityofafamilyhistory,”DrAntillsaid. Giventhis,OvarianCancerAustraliaisurgingwomenwiththediseaseorwhohaveovercomeit– andeitherwithorwithoutaknownfamilyhistory–todiscussgenetictestingwiththeirspecialistto determineiftheyareacarrierofaBRCAmutation.DeterminingwhetherapatientcarriesaBRCA mutationcannotonlyhaveimplicationsfortheirfamilymembers,itcanalsodetermineacourseof treatment. MsHillsaidthatknowingone’sgeneticriskwasatangibleandeffectivemethodofreducingthe numberofliveslosttoovariancancer. “In2015,ourorganisationannouncedour25/25Visiontoreducetheincidenceofovariancancerby 25percentandtoimprovethefive-yearsurvivalrateby25percentby2025. “ReducingtheoccurrenceofpreventableovariancancerinAustraliawithgreaterknowledgeofan individual’sgeneticriskwillsignificantlycontributetoachievingthisvision,”MsHillsaid. MsHillalsoimploredAustralianstotalktotheirfamilymembersaboutafamilyhistoryofbreastand ovariancancer. “ArecentstudycommissionedbyOvarianCancerAustraliafoundthatonlyaquarterofAustralians havespokentotheirfamilyabouttheirfamilyhistory.Ifthereisafamilyhistory,theremaybea BRCAmutationpresent.Havetheconversationtoday.” -ENDS- Formoreinformationandrequestsforinterviews,pleasecontact: PennyFannin,P:0392899702|M:0417125700|E:[email protected] Website Twitter&Instagram Facebook www.ovariancancer.net.au @ovariancancerOz https://www.facebook.com/OvarianCancerAustralia AboutOvarianCancerAustralia: OvarianCancerAustraliaistheindependentnationalorganisationthattakesactionforpeopleaffectedbyovariancancer. Itprovidessupporttowomenandtheirfamilies,raisescommunityawarenessofovariancancer,advocatesforimproved servicesforwomenandpromotesandfundsresearch.OvarianCancerAustralia’svisionistosavelivesandensurethatno womanwithovariancancerwalksalone.
