Family History Assessment for Risk Factors for Increase of ...



Does your patient have an increased risk of developing Breast Cancer due to a Family History?

If someone attends your clinic and is concerned that they may be at an increased risk of developing breast cancer it is important that you know exactly what the family history is before you refer for assessment. Often reassurance is all they need as there is no increased risk to them.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting women in the UK.

Around 50,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, which equates to a population risk of developing the disease as 1 chance in 8 during their lifetime and most women, 84% who get breast cancer are over 50 years. One of the first questions women ask when they are diagnosed with breast cancer is will my daughter/family be at risk? Much to popular belief, very few women (about 5%) have breast cancer because of a genetic mutation. Most breast cancers occur due to chance and are driven by the female hormone, oestrogen.

It is very unusual to have an inherited tendency which increases the risk developing breast cancer. It generally only occurs in families where:

• Either several close relatives developed breast cancer

• or, individuals had breast cancer at younger age in 30’s and 40’s

• or, some relatives had breast cancer and others had ovarian cancer

• or, someone had both breast and ovarian cancer.

We have included an Assessment for Family History Risk Factors to help you make your initial assessment to decide whether referral to the Genetics Unit for assessment is appropriate.

Alternatively please refer to Clinical Genetics referral guidelines. []

Key information for referral

• Age at diagnosis of any cancer relative

• Site of tumour

• Multiple cancers

• Jewish ancestry – 5-10 time more likely to be BRCA+

Factors for increased risk of breast cancer

1st degree relatives: - Mother; father; daughter; son; sister; brother.

2nd degree relatives: - Grand parents, grandchildren, .Aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, half sister or brother.

▪ 1 first degree relative ................
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