Should I get genetic testing for breast cancer?

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Ask the doctors

tightly cropped photo of gloved hands holding a petri dish and a syringe, putting a drop of genetic material in the dish; under the dish is a colorful rendering of genetic sequencing

Q. My sister and I are in our late 40s, and she was just diagnosed with breast cancer. Should I get genetic testing to find out if I’m at higher risk?

A. Your worry is understandable. Only 5% to 10% of breast cancers result from an inherited genetic mutation, according to the American Cancer Society. But when mutations are present — most commonly in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes — a woman’s risk for breast cancer can increase by as much as 80%.

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