Personalized support increases genetic testing for hereditary cancers among immediate family members

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A study found that personalized support and navigation during genetic testing increased testing among first-degree relatives of cancer patients. Nearly half of the tested relatives carried a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation associated with elevated cancer risk.

First-degree relatives—parents, siblings and children—of cancer patients who received personalized support and navigation services throughout the genetic testing process were significantly more likely to receive genetic testing themselves. Nearly half of those relatives carried a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation associated with a higher risk of cancer, according to a new study by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.