THE FUTURE OF BREAST CANCER

Thousands are affected each year, but progress is being made in the fight against this disease

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The words ‘breast cancer’ can strike fear into our hearts – especially knowing that one in eight women in the UK develop it. But the positive news is that 85% of those diagnosed will now survive for five or more years.* And these statistics are constantly improving, thanks to advancements in medicine and testing, fundraisers through initiatives such October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and lifestyle factors. Here’s what you need to know.

TESTS THAT YOU CAN TRY

Knowing whether or not you are at risk genetically can help you to take action earlier...

+ GENETIC TEST Between 5-10% of all breast cancer cases are genetic, so if you have a family history of breast cancer then you can request a test to check whether or not you carry the faulty variant of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene. If you do carry a BRCA gene mutation, your risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer is higher. While this sounds alarming, there's preventative treatment available. Your GP can advise.

+ SNP TEST A single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) test provides a lifetime risk score by detecting changes in DNA that raise your chances of developing breast cancer. You will need to pay for it, though - and it's expensive. 

TRY the Breast Cancer Risk Assessment test, £301, check4cancer.com. We recommend that you speak to your GP first.

NEW DRUGS TO EXTEND LIFE