Our veteran ENT specialist is of the firm belief that Breast Cancer can be prevented by adequate sunlight exposure or by taking Vitamin D tablets. Today, he goes into depth about the issue explaining the salient features of the dreaded disease and also precautionary measures to be adopted to stay away from the same. Here are his inputs:
BRCA TEST
The BRCA gene test looks for DNA changes that increase the risk of breast cancer and ovarian cancer. It uses a sample of blood or saliva to look for the changes.
DNA is the genetic material inside cells. It holds the instructions, called genes, that tell cells what to do. Harmful changes in the genes can increase the risk of cancer. Healthcare professionals sometimes call these gene changes variants or mutations.
The BRCA gene test looks for changes in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Other genes also can increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Some genetic tests look for these other genes in addition to the BRCA genes. A genetic test that looks at many different genes is called a multigene panel test.
The gene changes that increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer are passed from parents to children. So the health professional considers your personal and family history of cancer when making a recommendation. Genetic testing isn't routinely done on people with an average risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
Women with a BRCA mutation who consumed vitamin D-containing supplements had 46% lower odds of having breast cancer compared to those who did not take any supplements. Increasing vitamin D and calcium supplement intake was inversely associated with the odds of having breast cancer. Higher vitamin D and/or calcium supplement intake may be associated with lower breast cancer risk in this high-risk population.
Vitamin D Exerts Significant Antitumor Effects by Suppressing Vasculogenic Mimicry in Breast Cancer Cells
What is a BRCA test?
The BRCA gene test looks for DNA changes that increase the risk of breast cancer and ovarian cancer. BRCA1 and BRCA2 are the most well-known genes. Testing often looks for those genes and many other genes that increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancers
What is the cost of a BRCA1 test in India?
15,000 and Rs. 25,000 at their BRCA testing centres. This cost is for the complete BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene testing.
Is BRCA testing necessary?
Harmful BRCA gene variants are rare. They affect only about 0.2 per cent of the U.S. population. So, BRCA testing is not recommended for most people. You and your family members are more likely to have a BRCA1 or BRCA2 variant if either side of your family has a strong history of breast or ovarian cancer
Studying the Effect of Denosumab on Preventing Breast Cancer in Women With a BRCA1 Germline Mutation
The purpose of this trial is to compare denosumab to placebo for the prevention of breast cancer in women with a BRCA1 germline mutation. A germline mutation is an inherited gene change which, in the BRCA1 gene, is associated with an increased risk of breast and other cancers. Denosumab is a monoclonal antibody that is used to treat bone loss to reduce the risk of bone fractures in healthy people and to reduce new bone growth in cancer patients whose cancer has spread to their bones. Research has shown that denosumab may also reduce the risk of developing breast cancer in women carrying a BRCA1 germline mutation.
The results of genetic testing aren't always clear: A positive result means you carry a gene change that increases your risk of cancer. You can work with your healthcare team to manage that risk. A negative result may mean that you don't have the gene change. It also may mean that you might have a gene change that hasn't been discovered yet. Your test also might find a gene change that doctors aren't certain about. In these situations, it's not always clear what the results mean for your cancer risk.
Most people considering genetic testing undergo genetic counselling. Genetic counselling can help you understand what the results could mean for your health. It also can help you decide whether genetic testing is right for you
Changes in these genes significantly increase the risk of many cancers, including:
Breast cancer.
Male breast cancer.
Ovarian cancer.
Prostate cancer.
Pancreatic cancer
Who should consider genetic testing?
People with the following should consider genetic testing for genes that increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancers:
A personal history of breast cancer.
A personal history of ovarian cancer.
A personal history of pancreatic cancer.
A personal history of prostate cancer.
A blood relative with a history of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer or prostate cancer.
A blood relative who had genetic testing was found to have a gene change that increases the risk of breast cancer.
Ideally, genetic testing should be done on a family member who has had breast or ovarian cancer. If that person doesn't have gene changes, then the rest of the family might not need testing. However, there might be other genetic tests to consider. A genetic counsellor or other healthcare professional trained in genetics can help you decide what test might be best.
Other breast cancer genes
Researchers have found changes in other genes that increase the risk of breast cancer. Your healthcare team might recommend testing for these gene changes, too, based on your family history of cancer. This is known as multigene panel testing. A multigene panel test looks for changes in many different genes. It can be used to look for changes in the BRCA genes and other genes that increase the risk of breast cancer.
People who test positive for a gene change may face:
Feeling anxious, angry, or sad about your health and your family's health.
Concerns over possible insurance discrimination.
Strained family relationships.
Difficult decisions about the steps to take to prevent cancer.
Coping with the worry that you'll eventually get cancer.
There also may be some emotional concerns if you test negative or if you receive results that aren't clear-cut. In these situations, there may be:
"Survivor guilt" can happen if family members have positive results and you don't.
Uncertainty and concern that your result may not be a true negative result. This can happen if your results show you have a gene change that doctors aren't sure about.
Your genetic counsellor or another professional trained in genetics can help you work through any of these feelings. That person can provide you and your family support throughout this process. Research helps healthcare professionals understand how gene changes might affect cancer risk. In time, most variants of uncertain significance get classified into either a positive or negative result. To be informed when this happens, stay in touch with the member of your healthcare team who ordered your genetic test.
Genetic testing is an active area of research: If your gene test was done more than five years ago, your healthcare team might recommend testing again with newer tests. If your family health history changes, such as if additional family members develop cancer, your team also might recommend additional genetic testing
Risk-reducing surgery: Risk-reducing, or prophylactic, surgery involves removing as much of the "at-risk" tissue as possible. Women may choose to have both breasts removed (bilateral risk-reducing mastectomy) to reduce their risk of breast cancer. Surgery to remove a woman's ovaries and fallopian tubes (bilateral risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy) can help reduce her risk of ovarian cancer. (Ovarian cancers often originate in the fallopian tubes, so they must be removed along with the ovaries.) Removing the ovaries may also reduce the risk of breast cancer in premenopausal women by eliminating a source of hormones that can fuel the growth of some types of breast cancer.
Research reveals that most women who develop breast and other cancers are deficient in vitamin D... make sure vitamin D is optimal or take Dvion once a week, 20 tabs a year... will largely protect you. Also under the new concept of the G-K switch, most cancers can be cured. And breast cancer is absent in innuits.
Breast Cancer will largely be prevented by adequate vitamin D. Make sure you have adequate. The lack of sunlight exposure and low vitamin D is felt to be the cause of widespread cancer. Either have adequate sunlight exposure or take a vitamin D capsule.
Dvion tab once a week. 20 Tabs a year
Vit D should be 80 nmol/L.... otherwise, you are at risk. Beware
Inputs Courtesy: Our veteran ENT specialist who prefers to remain anonymous.
Nowadays people want to cover their face and hands because of the sun's heat.They apply sunscreen lotion before stepping out of the house.See how important sunlight to the body is.Can prevent cancer.
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