When a man discusses prostate cancer risk, he may mention an affected father, brother, or uncle. However, his mother’s ovarian cancer or his sister’s breast cancer may seem unrelated. Yet these diagnoses can point to an inherited susceptibility that matters to him too. Certain inherited changes in genes such as BRCA2 increase the risk of prostate cancer along with other cancers. They can come from either parent.
Genetic counseling helps establish who needs testing and what the findings mean. Looking only at male relatives or the father’s side of the family can therefore leave important gaps in a family’s medical history.
“Identifying inherited cancer mutations can influence treatment and screening and guide the medical attention relatives need”, Dr Thangarajan Rajkumar, Director of Research Oncology, MedGenome Labs Ltd, tells Health Shots .
A confirmed inherited genetic variant can offer more than answers for one person. The meaning of a genetic result depends on the type of finding. A pathogenic or likely pathogenic variant is a gene change known to increase cancer risk, but having one does not mean that cancer is inevitable. Conversely, a negative result may not fully explain a strong family history of cancer. A variant of uncertain significance (VUS) means there is currently insufficient evidence to determine whether the change affects cancer risk. A VUS should not, on its own, change treatment or guide predictive testing in relatives. For some people with advanced cancer, specific genetic alterations may help guide treatment decisions, including the use of PARP inhibitors. Eligibility depends on the specific genetic alteration and the clinical setting. It allows families to understand their genetic risk, make informed decisions, and take early action.
