Self Evaluation Form

All information is confidential. A genetic counselor will only contact you if you request to be contacted. You may also print out this page and bring it with you to your genetic counselor and physician appointments.

How is the BRCA gene inherited?

BRCA1/2 mutations can be passed or inherited from a mother or a father in an autosomal dominant fashion. This means having only one copy of a BRCA1/2 mutation can increase your chance of developing certain cancers like breast and ovarian.  If a mother or father carries a BRCA mutation, there is 50% chance of inheriting that same mutation. While not everyone who inherits the BRCA mutation develops cancer, those with a mutation are at a higher risk.

Should you get tested?

Reviewing your family history with a genetic counselor and physician is the first step in determining ​whether BRCAnow® testing is appropriate and beneficial to you. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and The National Comprehensive Cancer Network both support testing in individuals with a high risk and family history of breast or ovarian cancer. 

Recent evidence indicates that men who have had metastatic prostate cancer, prostate cancer before age 50, or who have multiple relatives from the same side of the family who have had breast, ovarian, endometrial, or prostate cancers also to consider genetic testing. Not only is it helpful to predict risk for other hereditary cancers, but the genetic mutations can be passed to the carrier's children as well.

Note: Predictive genetic testing for hereditary and ovarian cancer is not recommended for at-risk individuals younger than 18 years of age.