Current Genetic Tests Miss Many People With High Cancer Risk, Study Finds

HealthDay (7/19, Mundell) reported, “As good as many genetic tests might be, a deeper look at the DNA of over 44,000 people identified many who carried genes that hike their risks for cancer, researchers said.” The researchers “looked at the exomes of over 44,000 people of varying backgrounds and found that 550 of them – about 1.24% – did carry a hereditary genetic mutation that upped their odds for either breast and/or ovarian cancers or Lynch syndrome, a condition that raises the odds for endometrial and colorectal cancers.” The data indicated that “more than half of the people identified as carrying these mutations previously had no idea they were...at risk, and 40% would not have even met the criteria for genetic testing, the authors noted.” The findings were published JCO Precision Oncology.