What should you know about genetic testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2? You may have heard the names BRCA1 and BRCA2 in connection with breast cancer, often when a family has seen several relatives diagnosed. These are genes everyone has, and testing looks for inherited changes in them that can raise the risk of certain cancers.
Genetic testing is a personal step, and it is usually offered to people whose history suggests it could help. This guide explains what these genes do, how testing and counseling usually work, and what the possible results can mean.
Genetic Testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2: What BRCA1 and BRCA2 Genes Do
Genes are the instructions our bodies use to build and maintain themselves. BRCA1 and BRCA2 normally help repair damaged DNA in cells, which protects against cancers forming. When one of these genes carries an inherited change, that repair system works less well.
A change in one of these genes does not mean cancer is certain. It means the lifetime risk of breast cancer, and also ovarian cancer, is higher than average. Many people with such a change never develop cancer, especially with careful screening and preventive steps.
Who May Be Offered Genetic Testing
Testing is usually offered based on personal and family history rather than to everyone. Patterns that may lead to an offer include breast cancer diagnosed at a young age, cancer in both breasts, several relatives with breast or ovarian cancer, and breast cancer in a male relative.
A personal history of certain other cancers, or a known gene change already found in the family, can also be reasons. If you are unsure whether your history fits, asking your doctor for a conversation about family risk is a sensible first step.
How Testing and Counseling Usually Work
Testing itself is simple: a blood sample or a saliva sample is sent to a laboratory, and results usually take a few weeks. Before testing, you will usually talk with a genetics professional, a process called genetic counseling, about what the results could show and what they could mean for you and your family.
That conversation matters, because results are personal medical information with emotional and practical sides. Counseling helps you decide whether testing feels right for you, and it helps you understand the result when it arrives, whatever it shows.
What Positive, Negative and Uncertain Results Mean
A positive result means an inherited change was found that raises cancer risk. It is information, not a diagnosis, and it opens the door to earlier and more frequent screening and to preventive options you can discuss with your team.
A negative result means no change was found in the genes tested. What that means depends on your family: if a change is already known in your family and you do not have it, that is reassuring, while a negative result with a strong family history may simply mean the cause was not found.
Some results are uncertain, meaning a change was found whose effect is not yet known. In that case, care is guided by your personal and family history, and the result may be reinterpreted in the future as knowledge grows.
What Results Can Mean for Screening and Prevention Choices
For people with a positive result, screening usually starts earlier and may include both mammograms and breast MRI scans, so changes can be found as early as possible. Regular screening does not prevent cancer, but it greatly improves the chance of finding it early.
Some people also consider preventive options, such as medicines that can lower risk, or surgery to remove breast or ovarian tissue before cancer develops. These are major, personal decisions, and there is no single right answer. A genetics professional and your care team can help you think them through at your own pace.
Talking With Family Members About Results
Because these gene changes are inherited, a result can matter to relatives as well, including parents, brothers, sisters, and children. Each close relative may have a chance of carrying the same change, and knowing about it gives them the option of testing and earlier screening too.
Sharing this kind of news is a personal choice, and families handle it in different ways. Some people share a letter from the genetics service that relatives can take to their own doctors. Whatever you decide, you are entitled to time and support while you think it through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I buy a genetic test online instead of going through a doctor?
Tests sold directly to the public exist, but they may check only a small number of gene changes and can miss others. Testing arranged through your care team, with counseling, usually looks more completely and comes with support to understand the result. It is the route doctors generally recommend.
If my result is positive, will my children definitely have the change?
No. Each child of a parent with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 change has, in general terms, about a one in two chance of inheriting it. Testing for children is usually delayed until adulthood, since screening and decisions begin later, and a genetics professional can explain the timing.
Will a genetic test result affect my insurance?
There are legal protections in the United States that limit how health insurers and most employers can use genetic information, though these protections do not cover every kind of insurance. A genetics professional can explain the current picture before you test, so you can decide with full information.
A Note on Medical Information
The information on this website is for general educational purposes only and is not medical advice. It does not replace the advice, diagnosis, or treatment of a qualified healthcare professional. If you notice a change in your breast or have concerns about your health, please contact a healthcare professional promptly.