Breast & Ovarian Risk Evaluation Program

Genetic Testing for Breast and Ovarian Cancer. Contact us at 734-647-8902

When it comes to breast and ovarian cancer risk, there is talk about BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations. In this episode we talk with genetic counselor, Kara Milliron, about BRCA and how it effects not only breast and ovarian cancer but other inherited cancers.

Read/download the Understanding BRCA Gene Mutation transcript.

Two genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, are known to dramatically increase a woman's risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer in her lifetime.

More than 190,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. But only 5-10% of those breast cancers are caused by an inherited genetic mutation. Depending on the inherited gene mutation, these women may also be The same gene can put women at a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer as well. Genetic counseling for inherited susceptibility to cancer BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations can may be able to tell a woman whether she is at increased risk for these and other cancers. The test does not guarantee who will or will not get breast cancer or ovarian cancer.

Those most appropriate for genetic counseling have:

Drs. Elena Stoffel and Jennifer Griggs, co-principal investigators of the Michigan Genetic Hereditary Testing (MiGHT) Study, discuss the importance of knowing your family health history. Read/download the podcast transcript.

Consider joining the MiGHT PROJECT

The purpose of this project is to test whether this survey is helpful to patients and health care providers collecting and evaluating patient’s family history of cancer.

Learn more and register.

High numbers of family members with cancer diagnoses (especially breast and ovarian) throughout several generations, either maternal or paternal
Family member diagnosed with cancer before age 50
Family members who have been diagnosed with multiple cancers (for example, breast and ovarian)
Male breast cancers, or clusterings of other cancers such as colon, prostate, stomach or pancreatic

While it's important for every woman to understand her individual risk, genetic testing may not be the right option for everyone.

Appointments/Referrals

Patients: Please call 734-647-8902 (Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm EST). Healthcare professionals: Please contact our M-LINE service at 800-962-3555.

For more information about the appointment process, including insurance and other questions, please visit our Appointment Request page.

Still have questions?

The nurses at Cancer AnswerLine™ have answers. Call 1-800-865-1125 and you'll get a personal response from one of our registered nurses, who have years of experience in caring for people with cancer.