Doctors Urge Retesting of Pre-2000 Cancer Gene Screens as 17.3% of Prior Negatives Turn Positive
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Oct 11
Doctors Urge Retesting of Pre-2000 Cancer Gene Screens as 17.3% of Prior Negatives Turn Positive
2 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Oct 11
Summary
Women cleared by early breast and ovarian cancer genetic tests are being urged to test again, as newer screening can detect dozens of risk genes that 1990s-era BRCA-focused tests often missed.
A 2023 study found 17.3% of people who initially tested negative were found to carry a gene variant after retesting, reinforcing calls from oncologists and genetic counselors for updated screening.
Cases like Tricia James and Slavka Clark highlight the stakes: both later retested positive for BRCA1 after earlier negative results, with James diagnosed with Stage 3 ovarian cancer before the mutation was identified.
Doctors say updated results can guide prevention through drugs, hormone therapy or risk-reducing surgery, but cost, insurance gaps and the fact many women no longer see specialists still limit retesting.
Testing expanded sharply after a 2013 Supreme Court ruling ended Myriad Genetics' DNA patent protection, opening the way for broader multi-gene panels even as some newly identified variants remain hard to interpret.