Breast Cancer

Question 1

What is the first step in determining someone’s breast cancer risk?

Answer 1

Develop a pedigree
Gain consent to test other family members
Identify which mutations are present in an index case

Question 2

Which genetic test will be carried out?

Answer 2

A PCR for BRCA 1 or BRCA 2

Question 3

What advice would be given?

Answer 3

Double mastectomy and oophorectomy
Mammograms
Ovarian cancer screening

Question 4

What are some potential issues with the genetic test?

Answer 4

Complete deletion of BRCA will not be picked up
Methylation is not picked up
Unclear if looking at maternal or paternal copy of gene

Question 5

Which system is commonly used to grade breast cancer tumours?

Answer 5

T- tumour differentiation
L- number of lymph nodes involved
M- metastasised?

Question 6

What is significant about HER-2 positive breast cancers?

Answer 6

They are more aggressive

Question 7

How can breast cancer be treated?

Answer 7

If HER-2 positive, can be treated with herceptin

Radiation is not recommended as BRCAs are DNA repair genes

Question 8

What is the difference between tumour grade and stage?

Answer 8

Grade= how differentiated it is
Stage= how spread out it is