Current age-based genetic testing in patients with cancer may miss the majority of inherited gene variants

AI Summary

A study suggests age-based genetic testing approaches may miss many inherited pathogenic variants in patients with cancer. Identifying germline variants can inform patients’ treatment decisions and help relatives understand their inherited cancer risks.

Germline genetic screening can identify whether a patient with cancer has inherited genetic alterations in a gene or genes that are implicated in cancer. These inherited genetic alterations, known as germline pathogenic variants, can cause predispositions to cancer in people who carry them. Germline pathogenic variants can be used to flag cancer risk in patients' family members, and the presence of certain germline pathogenic variants can also potentially guide patients' treatments.