Your genes affect your prostate cancer risk
What are genes, and what do they have to do with cancer?
Genes are instructions, written in
DNA, that tell your body how to make the proteins it needs to function.
You inherit your genes from your parents, who inherited their genes from their parents,
and so on. Genes affect everything about your body, from your eye color and height
to your prostate cancer risk.
Genes can change over time. These changes are called
mutations, and certain genetic mutations can make cells grow out of control,
leading to cancer.
Only about 5% to 10% of cancers are believed to have a genetic component that strongly
affects a person’s risk. But changes in some genes can affect cancer risk.
What is prostate cancer genetic testing, and when is it performed?
Genetic tests can show if someone has a certain mutation that will increase the
risk of cancer. Not everyone needs to have genetic testing performed.
But if certain diseases run in the family, genetic testing may make sense.
There are a few types of genetic testing. Predictive gene testing
looks for mutations that may put someone at risk for diseases such as prostate cancer.
Carrier testing can help couples find out if they might pass on
a mutation to a child.
In addition, pregnant women can have their unborn children tested for certain conditions.
And newborns may be screened. (Newborn screening is the most common form of genetic
testing.)
Genetic testing may also be used to help plan treatment.
Instead of determining a person’s risk of cancer, genetic testing can also be used
to learn more about a cancer that’s already present. Genetic testing can give information
on how someone may benefit from certain treatments. Talk to your healthcare team
to see if this testing is right for you.
Who should look into genetic testing for prostate cancer?
If you have the following family associations with cancer, you may want to consider
predictive genetic testing:
- Several first-degree relatives (mother, father, sister, brother) with cancer, particularly
with the same type of cancer
- Family members who developed cancer at a young age
- Family members with rare cancers
- A genetic mutation in the family. You would find this out from a family member who
had genetic testing
A word of caution about genetic testing.
The most important thing to keep in mind when considering genetic testing is that
a negative result is no guarantee. One negative test result does not mean, definitely,
that a man doesn’t have a specific mutation which could put him at a higher risk
of prostate cancer. And if he doesn’t have that mutation, he could still develop
prostate cancer. Cancer affects many people who have no strong risk factors.
In general, no one should undergo genetic testing until talking to a trained, professional
genetic counselor.
What are the symptoms of prostate cancer?
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