Pathogenic Variants in Breast Cancer Susceptibility Genes in Older Women —Reply

In Reply We wish to emphasize that we did not in fact recommend that all postmenopausal breast cancer patients undergo multiple gene panel testing. Instead, we commented that the prevalence of BRCA1/2 PVs among patients with breast cancer diagnosed at age 64 years or younger was 2.2%, comparable with that of people of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry (2.5%), for whom BRCA1/2 testing is supported by guidelines. This result, together with our finding that the prevalence of any breast cancer –associated PV was 3.55%, led us to conclude that prevalence in postmenopausal breast cancer patients “may be high enough to warrant testing,” with the understanding that clinical context and patient preference should inform testing decisions.
Source: JAMA - Category: General Medicine Source Type: research