Written By: Debjani Arora | Published : August 1, 2018 4:52 PM IST
We are getting better and smarter with technology, especially when it comes to the field of medicine. Almost every other day we hear of inventions and innovations that can help pick up diseases early and nip the problem in the bud. Talking about a malaise like cancer, early testing and diagnosis help to avert any untoward consequences. In fact, if you have any risk factors or have a family member who has suffered from cancer getting tested to know your status is always advisable. Most cancers run in the family, so it is always better to go for an early detection to avert troubles.
All diagnosis doesn't have to be invasive; in fact, genetic testing (non-invasive, done with blood or saliva) is getting a lot of prominences these days in terms of early detection and helping one take the right steps to prevent imminent dangers. A DNA testing in such case can help. The DNA in the blood or saliva can help to study genetic abnormalities and help one realise the risk factors of impending cancer. These tests can help indicate the risk of certain cancers like breast, ovarian, uterine, prostate, colorectal and pancreatic, all of which can run in families. These tests can also detect cancer early and help initiate the treatment for better prognosis.
Who should go for genetic testing?
People who fall under high-risk categories should discuss this option with their physicians if they need to go for genetic testing. For every cancer, there are different high-risk factors. So, to make things uncomplicated talk to your doctor about genetic testing if anyone in your family had suffered from any sort of cancer, especially the immediate family members like mother, father or a sibling. In the case of breast cancer, for example, which can strike men as well as women, a patient with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation is about five times more likely to have a recurrence than a patient without the BRCA 1 or 2 mutations. This helps one to be more vigilant and help take the right steps to reduce the risks.
Moreover, genetic testing can help in other ways too. Since technology is developing every single day it helps to detect the risk of cancers other than the one for which a person is tested.
How should you decide on going for the test?
First, talk to your general physician or family doctor to know about your risk factor, apart from a family history of cancer. If your doctor suggests that there are two or three risk factors that could make you susceptible to cancer it is better to go for a genetic test as it is a non-invasive way to check for the malaise. There are various clinics that offer genetic tests consult your doctor before choosing one. Usually, a blood or saliva test is done to ascertain the susceptibility when might help you to take the necessary steps to avert a malaise like cancer.
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