Assess BRCA risk in women with family history: panel

By Genevra Pittman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer should be assessed to see if those cancers could be linked to certain mutations, according to new recommendations. Only if the assessments suggest a possible connection should women get genetic counseling and - if warranted - be tested for BRCA mutations, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) confirmed today. "The first thing to understand is the vast majority of women will not need this testing and will not benefit from it," Dr. Douglas K. Owens said. Owens is a member of the USPSTF as well as a professor at Stanford University and senior investigator at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System in California.



via Health News Headlines - Yahoo News http://news.yahoo.com/assess-brca-risk-women-family-history-panel-221205591.html