Cancer unit to test for genetic mutations

TORONTO — For the first time, Ashkenazi Jewish women can be tested at no cost for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic mutations, even without a personal or family history of breast or ovarian cancer, thanks to the familial breast cancer research unit at Women’s College Research Institute.

The simple blood test is part of a research study that aims to evaluate
how common these mutations are in the Jewish population of Ontario and
to see whether it is possible to identify women at risk for breast and
ovarian cancer.

Cancer researchers say that one in 44 Ashkenazi Jews carry the mutation, while in the general population, an estimated one in 400 people carries a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation.

Dr. Steven Narod, TOP LEFT, the director of the familial breast cancer research unit, leads the research team that will evaluate the study. A professor at the University of Toronto’s department of public health sciences, he has conducted many studies on the epidemiology of breast cancer.

Women who have had breast or ovarian cancer, or whose close relatives had, have always been able to get tested for the mutation at several sites in the city, including at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Princess Margaret Hospital. The cost is covered by OHIP.

Narod said that if this screening clinic shows that many Jewish women carry BRCA1 or BRCA2, he hopes the government will begin to cover all screening for  susceptible Jewish women who have so far no indication of these cancers.

Those determined to be carriers of the mutations will receive all the “appropriate care and counselling that they require,” Narod said.

Since the cancer risk of those who carry the mutuations is about 80 per cent, this information is significant. Some women may choose to have prophylactic surgery, to remove their breasts and ovaries. Others might take tamoxifen, a drug that Narod has said has shown great promise in preventing the cancers. Others may opt to not do anything, particularly if they are in their childbearing years.

Those who find they are carriers of the mutation will also be able to counsel their daughters, mothers, sisters and aunts to be tested, so that they, too, can take the appropriate options.

Narod said that more than 1,000  women have already called for an appointment, so “if you want the test, you should call soon.”

He said that studies dealing with these mutations are taking place all over the world – in Canada, Israel, United States, Brazil and other countries in South America. Scientists are looking to prevent breast and ovarian cancer, and to better treat it.

To be eligible for the study, you must be Jewish (Ashkenazi or Sephardi), between the ages of 25 and 80, a resident of Ontario, and not had previous testing for the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes.

For more information, or to enrol in the study, call the familial breast cancer research unit at 416-351-3765.