MyCheck Breast

MyCheck Breast test analyzes the genes associated with the Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer syndrome (HBOC). Among others, it assesses inherited mutations in either the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene which is usually the cause for inherited breast cancer that is diagnosed at young ages (corresponding to ca. 3 to 4% of all breast tumors), and for familial ovarian cancer.

In some families, many women develop breast cancer and/or ovarian cancer. Often these cancers are found in women who are younger than the usual age these cancers are found, and some women might have more than one cancer (such as breast cancer in both breasts, or both breast and ovarian cancer). This is known as HBOC. It is estimated that, in the general population, 1 out of 1,600 women carries an inherited BRCA mutation. Thus, the risk of developing an inherited breast or ovarian cancer can be as high as 80%. Cancer severity and the age at which it develops depends on the inherited mutation. MyCheck Breast allows identifying women at risk, planning other screening and cancer surveillance programs, and, in the case of breast or ovarian cancer diagnosis, selecting the most appropriate treatment.

Germline (egg and sperm) mutations in parents can be inherited by their daughters, together with cancer development predisposition.

MyCheck Breast must be considered by women if there is:

• a family history of breast and / or ovarian cancer
• women with cases of breast cancer diagnosed before age 35 (ovarian cancer before age 40) or who have had multiple cases of breast and / or ovarian cancer
• a presence of a mutation known in the family environment
• a diagnosis of male breast cancer, at any age, in the family environment
• a need to have a personalized assessment of the predisposition to hereditary forms of cancer

Germline mutations in the genes included in the MyCheck Breast assay are responsible for HBOC syndrome, characterized by an increased risk of development not only of breast and/or ovarian cancer, but also of the pancreas.

The method is based on the Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) of 21 genes, including BRCA1 and BRCA2, usually associated with an increased risk of ovarian cancer and breast cancer which, in these cases, tends to develop at a younger age.

Genes tested are tumor suppressor genes and mutation in one of these genes can lead to failure to repair damaged DNA. As a result, cells are more likely to develop further genetic alterations that can result in cancer.

MyCheck Breast leverages Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology to analyze susceptibility to HBOC development. Thus, it is a susceptibility test, because it does not evaluate the presence of a cancer, but inherited cancer development predisposition.

The advantages of this test are:

• Risk-reduction and early diagnosis, increasing the chances of successful treatment and survival.
• Improve the therapeutic results for patients, identified as carriers of mutations, thanks to targeted prevention and early intervention
• Determine the genetic causes of breast and/or ovarian cancer in one’s own family

MyCheck Breast is performed using NGS on the DNA extracted from a peripheral blood sample.