Do genome testing detect cancer cells or my own genes?

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I can understand your concern.

I completely understand the pain and fear you are going through. Being diagnosed with cancer and facing chemotherapy can be very stressful. It is normal to feel anxious, and I know your whole family must be worried too.

But please do not be afraid, cancer treatment today is much more advanced than it used to be. There are many options available now, and we can often choose simpler and easier treatments with much fewer side effects.

The good news is that your case is in early stages, which means it is an early stage, which allows us to manage the disease easily, sometimes even without chemotherapy, and still achieve excellent control.

Your doctor has requested a genetic test, which is very important because it helps us understand the nature of your cancer and decide the most suitable treatment. There are two main types of genetic tests we usually perform-

1. Oncotype DX (diagnostic) test:

• This test is done on the cancer cells themselves to study their DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). It helps us find out whether the cancer is aggressive or not, in other words, whether it is likely to come back in the future.

• If the result shows that the cancer is aggressive (high risk), we usually recommend chemotherapy.

• But if it is not aggressive (low risk), we can skip chemotherapy and continue with surgery and radiotherapy instead.

• Even radiotherapy depends on the surgery results, and we usually decide afterward what is needed.

• If the cancer cells respond well to hormonal therapy, we can continue with that treatment after surgery and radiation.

• However, if the Oncotype DX result shows a high-risk or aggressive type, we recommend adding chemotherapy as a preventive step to reduce the chance of the cancer coming back.

2. The second test is the BRCA 1(breast cancer gene 1) and 2 tests:

• We usually do this test if there are family members who have had breast cancer or ovarian cancer.

• If anyone in your family has had one of these, it is important to have this test done.

• The BRCA test helps us know whether there is a genetic risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer. If the test is positive, it means there is about a 50 to 60 percent chance of developing breast cancer, and a 10 to 20 percent chance of developing ovarian cancer.

• If you test BRCA-positive, this information also helps us plan future treatment options, in case the disease progresses at any stage.

• We also recommend that your daughters do the BRCA test, usually after the age of 25.

• At that age, we can start discussing and applying the right preventive strategies for each person to help protect them from developing the disease in the future.

These genetic tests are very important because they help us personalize your treatment and choose what’s best for your exact condition.

I wish you good health, healing, and continued strength. I hope everything I explained was clear, and please remember that if you have any questions at any time, I am always here and happy to answer.

• The probable causes: Family history.

• Investigations to be done: Genomic tests.

• Treatment plan: Surgery.

• Regarding follow-up: Seven days.

I hope this helps.

Kindly follow up if you have more concerns.

Thank you.