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NHS to launch expanded BRCA genetic testing for Jewish community

Around one in 40 Jews are carriers of BRCA, a gene mutation that increases the risk of developing certain cancers

June 15, 2022 14:04
GettyImages-1238766401 Genetic test
Researchers from the Auragen laboratory prepare the sequencing of human genomes to better identify rare diseases, in Lyon, central-estern France, on February 23, 2022. - Nearly 8,000 rare diseases have been identified to date and they affect about three million people in France, the vast majority of whom are children. (Photo by JEAN-PHILIPPE KSIAZEK / AFP) (Photo by JEAN-PHILIPPE KSIAZEK/AFP via Getty Images)

ByBen Bloch

1 min read

The NHS announced today that it will be significantly expanding BRCA genetic testing for the Jewish community in a bid to detect those at higher risk before cancer develops.

Around one in 40 Jews are carriers of BRCA gene mutations that increase the risk of developing certain cancers. The figure in the general population is one in 400.

The gene affects both men and women and raises the risk of developing breast cancer, prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, among others, by around 70 per cent.

The expanded scheme – likely to launch early next year – will allow people with at least one Jewish grandparent to self-refer for genetic testing to see if they are a carrier.

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