Genetics Daily

  It was recently reported that 100,000 tests for breast cancer gene mutations were done...genetic testing of patients to see if they had the "gene" for breast cancer. As I am likely the recipient of the gene from both parents, I was wondering..should testing be performed on young patients as an effort at education and/or prevention?

The current recommendation that little can be done to prevent or screen for breast until adulthood, so testing earlier than that is a wasted effort.  Additionally, they propose, the information may only cause needless worry. Would the knowledge that you had a gene mutation that predisposes you to cancer worry you? Is the worry worth the value of knowing? That may be the $million question in implementation of genetic testing in everyday practice...risk vs. benefit.

This inherited risk could be lowered by taking "anti-estrogen drugs or having [one's] breasts removed. Certainly different to the approach of the disease as practiced clinically now. But that is the key to implementation of genetics in clinical practice. It WILL change the way we approach, and treat disease, or certainly change the options and education of our patients. It is important to begin this discussion as our knowledge of genes in health and disease become more accessible to the clinician.

So if I knew that I had both gene mutations from my mom and dad, what should / would I do with that information?