How is my cancer risk and treatment related to genetics?
Over 200,000 Canadians were diagnosed with cancer in 2021 and over a third of those diagnosed passed away. Cancer continues to be the leading cause of death in Canada, partly because it is so variable and challenging to treat. Genomics is one of the best approaches to be cancer diagnostics and actionable treatment because it arises from mutation that can be observed with sequencing.
Cancer predisposition can detect genes that make a person vulnerable to developing the disease. One of the most famous examples of this is the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Predisposition genes can be used to structure an advanced monitoring program for those most vulnerable to catch the cancer at early stages when it is most treatable.
Interestingly, sequencing is also beneficial to choosing cancer treatment. Cancer therapeutics have advanced to a state where you can choose a treatment that is effective against cancers with a particular genetic change. BioAro has both a cancer predisposition panel and the ability to diagnose changes to tumors.
