What is a family risk of breast or ovarian cancer?
Around 5 percent of breast cancers and 15 percent of ovarian cancers are due to a family link. This means the person with cancer has a gene mutation from a blood relative. A mutation is a change or fault in the DNA of a gene. The gene mutations that increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancers are BRCA1 or BRCA2.
If your blood relative has either of these genes, you have a one-in-two chance of having it. If you have either of these genes, you have a higher cancer risk than someone who doesn’t have the genes. But having one of these genes doesn’t mean you will get cancer. Gene testing can help you learn if any of your blood relatives have a gene mutation. Your 全科医生General Practitioner can talk to you about testing and checking for cancer symptoms.
What will my GP do now if I have a family risk of breast or ovarian cancer?
家庭医生可能会与你讨论基因检测，如果是由专科医生安排，可能会由Medicare支付。 如果出现以下情况，家庭医生可能会将你转介至癌症服务机构以获得更多建议：
- 你得过癌症
- 你家中有人得过癌症
- 你家中某个人有一种罕见的基因突变
家庭医生还可能讨论癌症筛查以及帮助预防癌症的已知方法，例如：
- 每天运动
- 健康饮食 – 减少脂肪，多吃水果和蔬菜，避免或限制饮酒
- 戒烟
What will my GP do in the future if I have a family risk of breast or ovarian cancer?
家庭医生可能会每年见你，检查你的健康状况，看看你的风险因素是否有任何变化。如果你家中有人得了癌症，你可能会考虑进行基因检测。你可以随时与医生讨论基因检测问题，也可以在想要检测的时候改变主意。
