Breast and Ovarian Cancer (BRCA) Genetic Test

Is testing accurate?

No test is 100% accurate. The BRCA test cannot find all possible changes to the genes. It is possible that the test will show you do not have genetic changes when you do. This is called a false-negative test result.

Your test would be most helpful if you first had a close family member who had breast or ovarian cancer genetic tests. If this person tested positive, it means there is a known BRCA change in your family. If the family member's test results are negative, it usually is not helpful to test the rest of the family.

If you have a strong family history of breast or ovarian cancer, a negative BRCA result does not mean that you will not get cancer. There are other causes of breast and ovarian cancer.

BRCA testing sometimes shows genetic changes that may not be linked to cancer. More research is needed to find out if these changes increase cancer risk.

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Author:	Shannon Erstad, MBA/MPH	Last Updated: September 19, 2007
Medical Review:	Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine Douglas A. Stewart, MD - Medical Oncology
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