BRCA genetic testing ?

[Mish80]

Hi there,

This question has actually been on my mind for years, even before my dad’s cancer diagnosis. Both of my paternal grandparents died of cancer, my grandmother developed breast cancer in her 40s. Now my dad has pca and the more I read about the link between breast and prostate cancers and the BRCA fault, the more I think my family might be carriers of this. When mentioned to drs previously I get dismissed or they just don’t know enough about this. Would it be prudent to get my dad and us all tested ? Thanks in advance.

[HOPEFULSPOUSE]

My husband had complete genetic testing as his father also had PCa. We did it in the hopes that he would be eligible for a certain treatment if he had the BRCA gene. Sadly he did not. But sharing the info with his siblings and their families was helpful.

Perhaps a good place to start would be to have your dad tested - which would have implications for the rest of the family.

Thankfully our insurance paid for all of it.

[whatsinaname in reply to HOPEFULSPOUSE]

I just had my genetic testing done here in Bombay through Foundation One. The results have just come in and I am discussing them with my MO.

Insurance does not cover Foundation One in Bombay and the whole process including the compulsory biopsy and several blood tests along with the report cost me the equivalent of US$ 4300/-

My objective in doing this test was to find out which treatments work and which do not. Already, I know that Enzalutamide does not work while Abiraterone does. This single fact alone helps me recover the money spent plus I don't waste time taking Enza. Instead I take something which does work.

[Mish80 in reply to whatsinaname]

Thank you for your input. I am in Australia so not sure what the out of pocket (if any) will be.

[Magnus1964]

Absolutely, get him tested. I was just tested. The results were negative. But your family has had a lot of cancer. There is a correlation between Pca, breast, pancreatic and ovarian cancers.

[MichaelDD]

I'm a 15 year breast cancer survivor. I had a radical mastectomy, 4 months of chemo and 5 years of Tamoxifen. When I was diagnosed with APC my General Practitioner almost demanded that I get gene tested. Her first and foremost worry was that I wasn't passing something in my genes to my son and grandkids. Also she realized the complexity of my new cancer. She said that doctors would be looking for this somewhere along the line and I might as well get it for that reason too. It's a great thing to have and a test your doctors should be appreciative you have also. Get it, and good luck to you.

[Mish80 in reply to MichaelDD]

Thank you for replying. Do you carry the gene ?

[Drcrunch]

Well said!

[tango65]

BRCA2 is associated with a higher risk of developping prostate cancer.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

If you get the test ask them to study others mutations such as PDL1, PTEN, ATM, microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) , DNA mismatch repair (dMMR) etc. Your doctor will know what test you should request.

[Tall_Allen]

It usually doesn’t show anything actionable, but on the small chance it might — pcnrv.blogspot.com/2018/02/...

[Mish80]

Thanks Nal. I am in Australia so will look at the genetic screening process/ organisations here. I want the knowledge two fold -1 for any treatment planning for dad and 2 - for the rest of us to plan. I think I’ve been dismissed by previous GPs as I am still under 40 so not seen in the risk age.

[j-o-h-n]

Don't screw it..... DO IT...

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Saturday 05/04/2019 12:54 PM DST

[HopingForTheBest1]

I have posted on this forum several comments about the need for genetic testing.

As a result of a simple inexpensive genetic test from Color Genomics (color.com) I found that I am BRCA2+. I also have 2 daughters who were tested after I got my results, and unfortunately they are both BRCA2+.

My treatment was changed to a PARP inhibitor, Olaparib. Have been on it for almost 3 months, along with having recently completed Provenge immunotherapy. Also on ongoing Eligard and Xgeva.

Latest PSA last week was 0.02! Great news. Hoping it will stay low for the foreseeable future. MO says I should get 12-18 months while continuing on Olaparib.

Get tested.

[Drcrunch in reply to HopingForTheBest1]

Wonderful results. Keep it up

[HopingForTheBest1 in reply to Drcrunch]

Thanks. Doing the best I can. Hitting it hard.

[Mish80 in reply to HopingForTheBest1]

Can I ask what your daughters plan to do with this information now? More frequent mammograms or something else ?

[HopingForTheBest1 in reply to Mish80]

Both are in their 30s. The older one has enrolled in a preventative "Thrive" program at MSK specifically for her diagnosis, alternating every 6 mos with a mammogram and an MRI.