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Study: Genetic Screening Saves Lives

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Oncology contended that genetic screening for mutations linked to some forms of breast and ovarian cancer in Jewish women is almost as effect as regular checkups for the diseases.

“The results of this study suggest that genetic screening compares favorable to routine mammography for breast cancer and Pap smears for cervical cancer,” wrote study lead author Dr. Victor Grann and colleagues at Columbia University.

Although most women develop cancer from gene mutations that occur during their lifetimes, others are born with specific gene mutations that put them at risk. For example, about 2.5 percent of European Jewish women carry specific mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes that have been shown to cause a 56% risk of breast cancer and a 16% risk of ovarian cancer in some women.

Sources:

Reuters - January 28, 1999

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